


The Trickster and The Huntress

by somethinglikecatharsis



Category: Persona 5, RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Suicide Attempt, basically rwby in shujin, retelling of P5 with team RWBY, spoilers for p5r, this is a long'un
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:41:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 75,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24376693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somethinglikecatharsis/pseuds/somethinglikecatharsis
Summary: In an attic above a coffee shop, a young man dreams of rehabilitation in a jail cell.In her room, a young woman dreams of a man in a glass clock tower.Ruin is coming, and Akira Kurusu and Ruby Rose might be the only thing standing between it and society.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 31
Kudos: 126





	1. Players and Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world needs Ruby Rose.

**4/9 - Saturday Morning**

Ruby liked school about as much as anybody. Probably a little less than that. On one hand, going to school meant a lot of cool and interesting stuff. On the other hand, the actual _school_ part of school made her want to tear her hair out.

And hey, she was a good student, okay? At least, her grades were good. Ruby did her work. She'd never failed an exam. She had the chops where it counted, and she'd thank everyone not to forget it. People usually did, though. Public consciousness only lasted as long as their attention span did. And at Shujin Academy, the attention span of the student body was laughably short.

The halls were abuzz with the usual murmurs and gossip. The topic of the week had become about the new transfer student, set to come in by the next week. Somebody had apparently leaked on social media that he had a criminal record, for assault no less. It appeared that the masses were starting to worry that Shujin had let someone dangerous into their school. He wasn't even here yet, and rumours were already flying around that so and so heard from a friend of a friend that the new kid carried a knife everywhere he went, can you believe that?

Ah. Never change, Shujin. Ruby got a Yakisoba Pan from the school shop and started eating it as she walked back to class.

Ruby paid it no mind. She had long since acclimatised to the rumour mill in Shujin. She had been here for two years. The gossip came and went. Everyone just wanted something interesting to talk about.

"Hey, Rubes," Yang caught up to her in the hallway. Ruby frowned. The third years weren't supposed to be having lunch right now. "Do you and Weiss wanna grab a bite to eat after school today? Blake and I were craving a Big Bang Burger."

"I'll ask her, I guess. Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Ruby quirked her head. Yang shrugged.

"History's boring. I excused myself to go to the bathroom," she said easily. Like herself, Ruby's older sister wasn't much of a fan of the school parts of school.

"Better get back before someone catches you here," Ruby said, shaking her head good-naturedly. "I'll text you about Weiss."

"It's a double date then," Yang winked, then smiled. "Except none of us are dating each other."

"Oh Yang," Ruby sighed. "Oh, Yang, Yang, Yang."

"Hush up, baby sister," Yang flicked her on the forehead. She walked back downstairs, flashing Ruby a quick peace sign as she headed down.

She could hear the murmurs of a couple people closest to her talking about Yang.

_Are third years supposed to be out right now?_

_That's Yang Xiao Long, dude. You haven't heard of her? Girl's soccer team captain._

_She's really hot._

Ruby shouldered her bag, heading to the library. Freshies weren't worth much of her time or attention.

* * *

Okay, so maybe Big Bang Burger wasn't ever considered the healthiest of options for lunch in Shibuya. Maybe the branding was embarrassingly cheesy, and the average age of the customers was about 12 years old. But so what? Big Bang Burger was delicious and cheap. Weiss had agreed (reluctantly, but Ruby knew it was less reluctant than she had made it out to be), so the four of them found themselves munching on burgers after school.

"We have got to stop coming here," Weiss said, taking a pickle out of her cheeseburger and putting it on Ruby's tray. Ruby gladly took it.

"Whaddaya mean? Big Bang Burger is the best bang for your buck meal for your bellies!" Yang exclaimed.

"First of all, nice alliteration," Blake said, giving Yang a thumbs up. "Second of all, Weiss is right."

"Et tu?" Ruby gasped. Blake rolled her eyes. "You told me she was the one who wanted to come here, Yang."

"Me? Yang told me _you_ wanted to come here," Blake glared at the blonde. Yang munched her burger slowly and thoughtfully, looking at her best friend and her baby sister.

"I lied," she said simply, smiling before taking another big bite of her burger.

"That settles it, no more Big Bang Burger- god I hate saying it, it's way too many syllables," Weiss sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Just abbreviate it. Triple B's," Ruby suggested. Weiss frowned.

"No," she said flatly. Ruby shrugged, and happily went back to her burger. She liked Big Bang Burger, and she was willing to go on the record with that.

"Hey, have you guys heard about the new transfer student coming in?" Blake started off.

"The one with the criminal records?" Weiss said. Blake nodded. Yang looked at them quizzically.

"What's that now?" Yang asked.

"Apparently someone leaked the new transfer student having a criminal record for assault," Weiss told her.

"Woah, and he's transferring to Shujin? Wonder how that works," Yang leaned back in her seat. Weiss frowned, mulling over the thought.

"Might be good PR," Weiss said. "Reform the trouble kid, send him off to a decent university. Makes the school look better."

"You guys actually believe it? Might just be the usual rumour mill spinning out another yarn. What was it last week, that Ann Takamaki was dating Kamoshida?" Ruby pointed out. Weiss tilted her head, conceding.

"I suppose we'll find out," Blake said. Ruby thought about it. He hadn't been to school yet, and already people were passing judgement on the new kid. If he was coming in, he was about to be shown a rough time, Ruby thought.

Guess they were going to find out.

Ruby munched on a fry. Couldn't be all that bad, right?

* * *

**4/10 - Sunday Morning**

Sunday found Ruby back in school, for some godforsaken reason. Damnable as it was, she had a couple projects she was working on in the workshop that needed tending to. She wished she could have stayed in the track team. Alas, Ruby Rose found her other outlets in creative projects that required proficient use of machinery and equipment. Right now, she was making a wooden rose. She intended to style it and stick it in a glass jar. Easy A, she was sure of it.

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she headed through the school gates, entering the foyer. Sundays were so strange. Everything was so quiet. She headed upstairs and towards the practice building.

There, in the hallway, leaned against the wall, she saw him.

Grey eyes bore into her from behind a pair of black rimmed glasses, framed by a head of messy hair. He was wearing the school uniform in a way that made her think he didn't belong here. His face was impassive, his posture cool as he leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets. He stood there and watched Ruby and she watched him back.

She faintly thought she should have said something. But for a moment, she could have sworn she saw a flash of red, and the world stopped around the two of them. Then she smoothed out the back of her skirt, and his hands moved to sweep his fringe aside, and the moment was dispelled. They moved their attentions elsewhere at the same time. Ruby frowned, pulling her phone out as she walked past him.

God, that was so weird. That's what she got for coming to school on a Sunday. Sundays were sacred. She chewed on the inside of her cheek. Still though. She wondered vaguely if he was the transfer student everyone had been idly gossiping about. The alleged criminal convicted of assault. He didn't look too tough. Yang could probably beat him up in a fight. Probably. She did see the sign on his collar, making him a second year, same as her.

Ruby reached the workshop, and immediately all her idle thoughts were dispelled. No time to wonder about weird transfer students. She had projects that needed her attention.

* * *

Ruby's eyes snapped open almost as soon as her consciousness faded. That was funny. Sleep never felt so short as that. She bemoaned the fact, but sat up anyway, feeling the familiar clank and rustle of chains binding her hands and feet-

No. Hold on. No.

"What?" Ruby said, all traces of lethargy fading away in an instant. She looked around her room. Her nice cozy room wasn't there. Instead she was in a blue padded cell, complete with the bars on one end. She stood up, moving towards the opening and gripping the bars.

"Hello?" she said out into empty space. She could barely hear her own voice. It felt like she was shouting into an inky black void. Panic started gripping her heart. She was so confused. Where was this place? When was she transported here? The last thing she remembered was getting in bed…

The piano came in softly, slowly. Growing in volume and tempo until it reached a comfortable pace, though profoundly unsettling. Each tinny note sent Ruby's stomach into a spiral. In her mind, all she could see were chains, coiling themselves round and round her body, suffocating her.

A deep voice laughed, and light started to fill the room like it was being poured in through a funnel. She strained her eyes to try and catch every detail of the room outside her cell.

It was wide, empty and spacious. A gaudy blue permeated all throughout, matching to the colour in her cell. In the middle of the space was a desk, and a man with a long, hooked nose and wide, unblinking eyes sat with a big, cheshire smile. He was bald atop his head, but with white hair on his sides, dressed in a suit and complete with white gloves. He was the definition of creepy. Ruby gripped the iron bars tighter. Her eyes wandered to her sleeves, and she jumped as she realised she was dressed in a comically stereotypical black and white prisoner's outfit.

This had taken a definite turn into pants-shittingly scary territory. Was she dreaming? If so, she needed to lay off the video games. Ruby blew out a breath and held her head in her hands. Okay. She just needed to calm down.

"Welcome, trickster," he spoke, and his voice was old and croaky and vaguely sinister. "Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Ruby swallowed thickly. His grin never faded and his one crossed leg swung idly under his table. "Who are you? What do you want?"

He interlocked his fingers together, laughing a quiet, disconcerting laugh. It almost made Ruby flinch. His grin dropped slightly at that.

"My name is Igor. And I wish to help," he tilted his head, then his smile restored itself. "You do not know it yet, but a good man has been placed into an unfair game. His prospects are bleak, though he has great potential and I suspect a capacity to surprise us all. I have brought you here to… even the odds, as it were."

Ruby shook her head. This dude was full on wack-a-doodle. What was he even saying?

"Where is… here? What are you talking about? I have a million follow up questions after that, just to let you know," Ruby spoke, finding her confidence somewhere in the pits of her chest. There was the Rose spirit people had always spoken so fondly of.

"As you should," the man uncrossed his legs and leaned forward in his seat. He seemed to ponder for a moment, then he held a gloved hand out and snapped a finger.

The room shifted. Her cell door opened. She felt her chains unlock themselves and fall off her person. She looked down to find herself wearing her Shujin uniform. No. Not quite? It seemed vaguely similar, but different enough in colour to make her ponder. Cautiously, she walked out of her cell, that disappeared almost completely behind her. The outside room had lost its blinding blue colour, instead shading itself in an almost gunmetal grey. There was a large window in the back of the room now that showed a star dotted sky. The room itself maintained the same shape otherwise, except for the addition of gears. Big, ticking gears that reminded her of a watch moved underneath the now glass floor. The piano still continued, coming from nowhere Ruby could tell.

Igor himself shifted. He was no longer a creepy, unblinking man with a long nose. He sat behind a glass table, now a kindly looking man with messy grey hair and small dark glasses that sat low on his nose. A simple cane rested on the desk beside him.

"Ruby Rose," he spoke, his voice now smoother and more welcoming. "The world needs your help."

He motioned across from him, for Ruby to sit on a tall metal chair at the opposite end of the desk.

Ruby sat across from Igor. She chewed on her cheek, and tried to place the vague feeling of familiarity and comfort that this place brought her. Even Igor's new face made her want to reach out, or cry. Something weird like that.

"The Velvet Room forms itself in accordance to the occupant's wishes. You have wished for… this," he said. Ruby quirked her brow. How could she have wished for this? She didn't even know where _this_ was. She'd never seen such an intricate, imposing room. Igor laughed, a small sound coming from the back of his throat. "You will understand some day."

"Ruin is coming," Igor continued, ignoring Ruby's confusion. He pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "In the near future. There is no mistake. You must help avoid this. It is a total annihilation of life, of people, of cognition."

He looked at Ruby's still puzzled expression, and let out a small chuckle. From somewhere, he pulled out a plate of cookies. Somewhere in Ruby's heart, she felt a pang of sorrow. Something like déjà vu. It only lasted for a second, though.

"You may call us Gods. Aliens. Something else. It does not matter. The truth of the matter lies beyond your understanding. It is also irrelevant. The only thing that matters is avoiding ruin," Igor said softly, motioning the plate further towards Ruby. She hesitantly took one. He watched her as she bit into it. Damn. It was good. This dream took a turn.

"I have… made more mistakes than any man, woman or child on this Earth. This time, I require your help to correct it."

There it was again. That strange feeling of déjà vu. That strange, familiar sadness. He stared at her.

"Will you help me?"

Ruby Rose, for all her faults, had inherited at least one good thing from her parents.

"Yes."

And then Ruby Rose woke up. She was back at home, in bed. For some reason she felt better than she ever had before.

Today was a new day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi. nobody asked for this, so here it is. i'm excited to be working on this one actually.


	2. Threshold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby doesn't know it yet, but the world's only as real as you think it.

**4/11 - Monday Morning**

It was raining. Of course it was raining. Ruby sighed as she stood at the top of the stairs of the exit to the station.

Good old Tokyo in April.

She pulled her phone out and checked the time. Yeah, she was going to be late for sure. Yang had made the right call when she left early to go meet up with Blake.

She supposed it just wasn't her day today. People all around her were pulling out umbrellas and starting the trek towards school, or running to beat the drizzle before it became a full downpour. Ruby didn't want to bother. She just stood by the side and let people go around her. Nobody bothered her, everyone too wrapped up in themselves to do anything for her anyway.

A ways away, she spotted two figures hiding in the shelter of an awning. It was the boy from the other day. The new transfer student. He didn't stand quite so cool as he previously had the last time Ruby saw him. He had one hand on his bag, and the other held his phone. The other person put their hood down to reveal blonde pigtails. Ann Takamaki. There was no mistaking it. They stared at each other for a while, neither figure really reacting, or saying much of anything.

On the street, a black car pulled up, stopping right in front of them. The window rolled down to reveal Kamoshida, the greasy haired, large chinned, creep of a gym teacher at Shujin. Ruby felt a flare of irritation and anger at the sight of him. He shouted out to the both of them to offer a ride to school, an offer that only Ann took up. She felt her skin crawl as she watched Ann willingly get into Kamoshida's car. She didn't know many people, let alone girls, who would do something like that. She supposed the act was innocent enough, but… Well, by the way Kamoshida's eyes lingered on the girls during PE sometimes, Ruby didn't figure he was much for innocence. But as the star of the Shujin for his work with the volleyball team, he was pretty much untouchable. A fact Ruby was acutely aware of.

From behind her, Ruby could hear someone furiously bounding up the staircase, then run underneath the awning that the new transfer student was taking shelter in.

Ryuji Sakamoto. Loud, brash, and with a terrible reputation. He loudly cursed Kamoshida as he drove away, and turned to face the new transfer student.

Ruby hummed in thought. What a sequence of events that was. She sighed again as she watched Ryuji talk more at the new guy than to him. Right, okay. Now was a good a time as any to make her entrance. Besides, that awning looked like it had a cozy enough space for three. Ruby walked quickly to avoid the rain as much as she could.

"You're seriously telling me you don't know who Kamoshida is? You're from Shujin right- Oh," Ryuji stopped as Ruby approached.

"Hey Ryuji," Ruby greeted, a smile on her face. Ryuji scratched his head and looked somewhere down and to the left of her.

"Hi Ruby," he mumbled. Ruby frowned, but shook it off quickly and focused her attention on the newcomer. His steely grey eyes still felt like they pierced into her. Ruby tried to keep her expression as light as possible.

"Hi, I'm Ruby Rose," she held out her hand. He looked down at the hand before reaching out tentatively and shaking it.

"Akira," he said simply. Ruby nodded.

"Ryuji, have you met my friend Akira?" Ruby shifted on her feet to look past Akira at the blonde boy. He snorted, rubbing his nose and shaking his head.

"Met him before you did, Rose," he said, looking her in the eye now, if only for a little bit. Ruby smiled, shrugging.

"Anyway, did you see Ann get in the car with Kamoshida? God, what a tool," Ryuji said, his face set in a scowl. "That guy thinks he can just do what he wants. King Kamoshida of goddamn Shujin Castle. It makes me sick."

Ruby softened her expression. "I know, Ryuji."

She looked at Akira, who had been quiet thus far. She offered him a conciliatory smile, then held her hand out of the awning to feel the rain. It was indeed lightening up. Lucky her.

"Rain's letting up. C'mon, we'd better hurry if we don't want to be late, 'specially on your first day," she said to Akira pointedly. Ryuji shouldered his bag, shifting on the balls of his feet.

"Follow me, I know a shortcut," Ryuji said, leading the way.

They walked in silence. Ruby thought about making up some small talk, but from the way Akira's first day was going thus far, she thought maybe the less was said, the better. Ryuji's foul mood couldn't be helped either. She knew how he got when the sleazy teacher was around. She felt the same way. The difference was that Ryuji was hopeless at keeping his top on. He was a bit like Yang in the respect, either all or nothing.

None of them said a word, at least not until they reached the tall castle where Shujin once stood.

Right. No. What?

"Uh," Ryuji looked at the two of them, then in disbelief back to the castle. Ruby couldn't quite believe what she was seeing either.

No, seriously, what was this?

This was such a weird morning. It was Monday. She was sure this was Monday's fault.

"Ryuji?" Ruby said.

"Yeah?"

"Why is there a… giant castle where the school's supposed to be?"

"I have no effin' clue."

They both looked at Akira, who still had his hands in his pockets as he looked up at the castle.

"I don't understand," he said, then looked at the both of them. "Are you guys pulling some sort of prank on me?"

"What? No! We're just as lost as you are," Ryuji exclaimed, shaking his head. "How is there a giant castle in the middle of Tokyo…?"

In the distance, from inside the (medieval, old English looking, Game of Thrones style, with old bricks and everything) castle, a screamed echoed out. It set Ruby on edge. This was wrong, in all the ways that made her think she was still dreaming. She half expected herself to look down and find herself in chains. Nope. Still in her Shujin uniform.

"Are we…?" Ryuji turned back to the castle, his question hung in the air. Ruby was stumped. Should they investigate? It seemed like they should just walk away. But to where? So much of this situation defied logic.

"Let's check it out," Akira said, pushing his glasses a little up his nose. Ruby and Ryuji both looked at him, but he seemed to pay them little mind as he walked across the lowered bridge, above the moat that surrounded the structure.

(There was a moat!)

Ryuji and Ruby shared a look before following him in.

The interior of the building… looked like a castle. Somehow the fact was unsurprising and yet totally surprising. They came into a large stone hall, resplendently decorated with a plush, thick carpet, a great glass chandelier hanging up from the ceiling. There were torches illuminating the whole scene, and a air of grandeur that permeated the whole place. Ruby was in awe.

Then it flickered, and for a brief moment, she saw the foyer of Shujin Academy. The familiar setting burned itself into her brain, and just as quickly left. Ruby felt nauseous.

"Are we in… school?" Ruby said, finding her footing was a little less stable than it was an hour ago.

"We can't be, but…" Ryuji shook his head and held a hand to his temple. "This is making no goddamn sense."

There was a terrible clanking sound that approached them suddenly, and a man in a full suit of armour, complete with sword and shield approached them. Something felt wrong. He looked… off. Like he was simultaneously dripping wet and dry at the same time. Looking at him made Ruby's palms sweat.

"Woah, what the hell?" Ryuji exclaimed as the man approached them.

"Who are you?" the man demanded, pointing a sword at them.

"Is this some sort of prank or something?" Ryuji balled his fists. "What are you wearing? Why are we in a castle?"

Two more armoured men approached them, surrounding their little group.

"Intruders," one of them said, and Ruby noticed how unnatural their voices sounded. Like their throats had their own echo. "Take them down to the cells for King Kamoshida to interrogate!"

Wait, what?

"Wait, wha-"

A shield came barrelling down on Ruby's face, and her world went dark.

She woke up in a cell. Again.

"Nooooo," Ruby groaned as she awoke, her head throbbing and her tongue feeling three times as big in her mouth. She sat up, finding herself on a cot, once again. "Where am I…?" she moaned.

"Ruby?" she heard coming from beside her. Ryuji leaned over her, grabbing her shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"

Okay, so she wasn't back dreaming in the Velvet Room. Somehow she thought her current situation was not much better.

"Okay?" Ruby looked up at him, then looked around at the cell. Akira was sitting on the cot next to her, looking at her with similar concern. She shook her head, tenderly feeling her head for the bruise she knew was there. She hissed as she found it, then withdrew her hand. "I got beat up by a scary knight. No, I'm not super okay. Where are we?"

"Locked up. They knocked us out and threw us in here," Akira answered, standing up. He walked with purpose over to the bars of the cell, gripping it tightly. Ruby got a strange sense of déjà vu watching his motions. Ryuji waved a hand in front of her face as Akira got to inspecting the rest of the cell.

"You okay? Not feeling nauseous? Can you tell how many fingers I have up?" Ryuji raised up three fingers. Ruby told him as much. "You prolly don't have a concussion at least, so that's good."

Ruby looked up into Ryuji's eyes. She gave him a small smile in appreciation, one that he immediately averted his eyes from, backing away to gain distance from her. Ruby sighed internally.

There was a long, agonised scream from outside. It sounded like someone was in terrible pain, or being tortured. Ryuji and Ruby joined Akira at the cell door, craning themselves to look to find the source of the sound.

"Woah… woah, woah, woah. What the hell is going on?" Ryuji shook his head, concern etched clearly on his face.

"This can't be real…" Akira muttered, almost more to himself than to them.

"Guys, I don't know what's going on right now, but I think we need to find a way out," Ruby pushed off the bars and inspected the back of cell, looking at the window located there.

"I've checked. We're stuck here. Prisoners," Akira responded, the last word sounding bitter in his voice. "For now at least. Did you hear what they said before they took us?"

"Yeah…" Ryuji responded, an angry edge to his voice. "King Kamoshida. You don't think…?" he spared a glance at Ruby.

"There's no way," Ruby said resolutely. "There's no way it's-"

Clanking from outside the cell. Armoured men approached, two of them flanking the central figure.

Suguru Kamoshida.

Holy shit.

"What the fuck?" Ryuji breathed out.

It was him, alright. There was no mistaking that giant jaw, that smug, shit-eating grin. He was covered from neck down with a intricate fur-lined cloak. Atop his head sat a gaudy looking crown. He motioned for one of the knights to open up the cell.

"How the hell…?" Ruby got to her feet. The armoured knights entered the cell first, pushing back Akira and Ryuji to where Ruby was standing.

"You three have been found guilty of the crime of unlawful entry," one guard said to them as two of them held their shields and swords up, pointed at the three of them. "The punishment has been decided. You shall all be sentenced to execution!"

"What?!" Akira exclaimed.

"To think it'd be you Sakamoto…" Kamoshida's grin somehow grew wider as he looked down on Ryuji. "I thought it was just a bunch of petty thieves. I see you brought some friends with you, too. Typical- can't do a damn thing by yourself, can you?"

He regarded Akira impassively, but his ire rose a bit more as his attention focused on Ruby. Ruby felt herself shrink a little unconsciously.

"I thought you were done with this shit-stain when he destroyed the track team, Miss Rose. But I suppose it's to be expected. You never were the brightest of the bunch, were you?" his smile turned slimy. Ruby felt her stomach knot itself. "But you know what, I'd be willing to give you a shot. Whaddaya say?"

His hand shot out from his cloak, and Ruby could see in full view he wasn't wearing anything but a set of pink briefs. The view made her almost want to gag. She'd been on the receiving end of his advances once or twice, but she'd always managed to find a way out.

Looking at the situation, Ruby was hard pressed to find a way out.

"N-no," Ruby said, her voice quavering as the fear got the better of her. His smile disappeared. He regarded her with cold anger instead.

"Then fuck you too, you stuck up bitch. I'll get your sister then. She's got some nice tits, doesn't she?" he laughed.

Ruby felt the fear drop out into hot anger. She felt tears stinging her eyes.

"Can it, you asshole!" Ryuji shouted. "I've had enough of this shit!"

Kamoshida turned his attention back at the loud-mouthed blonde. He made a quick motion, and two knights took each of Ryuji's shoulders. He struggled, but quickly had the wind knocked out of him as Kamoshida drove a powerful kick into his gut. He crumpled into the ground, coughing.

"Ryuji!" Ruby cried out. Two other guards shoved her back against a wall with Akira. They pinned them against the wall with their giant metal gauntlets.

"Akira…!" Ruby struggled against her captors. He watched on in horror as Kamoshida had his guards hold Ryuji in place as he took his anger out on the poor boy.

"Stop it!" Akira shouted, his voice raw and desperate. Kamoshida paused, looking back at Akira.

"How dare you talk to me like that, you filthy goddamn peasant. I am King Kamoshida! And this is my castle," he leaned down to Akira's level to look him straight in the eyes. He scoffed, apparently not finding much of interest there. "Fine. You'll get to see Sakamoto die. Slowly."

He motioned, and one of the guards picked up Ryuji by his neck and pinned him against the wall, his other hand holding the tip of his sword against Ryuji's sternum. The blonde was crying, his eyes only half opened and he hiccoughed and struggled weakly against the knight.

Ruby struggled harder, screaming. Akira was silent, his mouth hung open.

Then something shifted. Ruby felt it. The edges of a terrible, debilitating migraine. The pressure of an unknowable force. A blazing heat the lapped at the edges of her skin, coming-

Coming directly from Akira. Sweat was pouring off his body as he started struggling harder, his body looking like it was convulsing. His eyes were wide open, his veins looked like they were going to pop out of his neck. He could barely scream, a choked groan instead emanating from his throat.

Then all at once, he stopped, his body went limp and his head lolled down, chin smacking into his chest.

"A-Akira…?" Ruby barely breathed. Did he have a heart attack or something? Ruby felt sick to her stomach. This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening. She wanted Yang. She wanted her Mom and Dad. She couldn't believe any of this.

Kamoshida vaguely regarded his form with disinterest. He picked up Akira's head from his chin, and slapped him roughly, his glasses flying off. "What's wrong you little weakling? This too much to handle? Should've thought about that before you crossed me."

Akira's head shot up, and suddenly a huge gust of wind burst forth. It was forceful enough to bring the knights stumbling, and to knock Kamoshida flat on his ass. Ruby was thrown to the side, the knight's grip on her loosened enough to let her go.

A white mask appeared on Akira's face. Curved and white and covering his eyes. He calmly reached up, grabbed an edge, and started pulling it off. It looked like it was fused to his face. Each inch he pulled off was an inch off his skin. Blood started trailing down his face, but he didn't hesitate, not stopping until his face was bloody, his mask was in his hands, and blue flames appeared.

The blue flames started spreading all over Akira's body, but he made no sound of pain. Instead he laughed. Loudly, maniacally. A laugh that got deeper and turned-

Demonic.

His body was engulfed in flames. Just as quickly, it dissipated. A figure shout out from behind Akira.

Red, with wings on his back, sharp claws and flames in its mouth. A monster, covered in chains and blue fire.

Akira grabbed hold of the chains and crushed it in a gloved hand.

"Arsene!" he exclaimed.

"What- what the…" Ryuji exclaimed weakly from across Akira. His captor had let him go, turning instead to face Akira.

"It's… I don't-" Ruby gasped, finally feeling breath return to her lungs as she took in the full view of what was happening.

She scrambled over to Ryuji as Kamoshida crawled out of the cell, cowering and yelling at the guards to kill Akira.

"Ryuji! Ryuji, are you okay?!" Ruby crouched over the blonde boy as he stared in total shock at the sight before him.

"Ruby, what the hell is going on?" Ryuji asked, steadily shaking his head.

"I don't know," Ruby whispered, answering honestly as she wrapped an arm around Ryuji and held him as they watched the demon Akira had summoned turn to him.

"Give me your power," Akira told him. It seemed like the demon agreed, because Akira turned to the guards with full confidence, a long knife in his hands.

"Execute the prisoners!" one of them shouted, and suddenly all four of them melted.

Melted. Into shadow and ooze.

And exploded back into four monsters. Each of them looked identical. A Jack-O-Lantern holding a lamp, floating in the air.

"Persona!" Akira exclaimed, and a burst of red and white energy shot out from the ground beneath each of the other monsters, tendrils drilling into them and wrapping around them to drag them down. Three of them dissipated, evaporating into thin air, leaving no trace that they ever existed. The last one growled, and Akira quickly slashed him with his knife. He, too evaporated into the air.

"I don't understand any of this shit," Ryuji gingerly got on his feet. Ruby wrapped her arm around his waist to help him up. Akira looked at them, hands back in his pockets, and suddenly he looked just as surprised as they did. He looked at his outfit, and oh wow Ruby hadn't even really noticed the outfit. He looked like a dapper gentleman, or an old-timey thief. With the mask, he completely looked like a different person.

They didn't have much time to ponder on this, as Kamoshida came running back into the cell, surprised to see his guards missing.

"You lowly peasants! How dare you-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as Ryuji, in a burst of strength, socked him right across his face. He fell to the ground, dropping a key-ring.

"How do you like that you son of a bitch!" Ryuji cracked his knuckles. Kamoshida growled at him as he started to get up.

"The keys!" he said. Ruby scooped it up immediately, and the trio rushed out of the cell, slamming it behind them. Ruby shoved the first key she took into the lock, turning it with a decisive 'click!'.

"How dare you! Let me out, right now! You'll pay for this!" Kamoshida got up against the bars of the cell and shouted at them.

"I don't think so," Ryuji gave Kamoshida the bird, grinning wide.

"C'mon guys," Ryuji said to the other two, motioning his finger that was pointed at Kamoshida. Akira smiled, and gave Kamoshida the finger too. Ruby grinned, throwing the keys into the river the flowed in the middle of the underground level before giving Kamoshida the finger in kind.

"Alright, now we gotta find a way out of here. God dammit, no service," Ryuji put his phone away, sighing. "But also, what the hell was all that just now, man?" he looked at Akira. "And why'd your clothes turn into… that?"

Akira once more appraised his clothing, then shook his head.

"I don't have a clue," he said in resigned manner, shoving his hands in his pockets. In a flash of blue flames, his clothes disappeared, changing back into his Shujin uniform.

Ruby and Ryuji jumped back in shock. "Now they're back to normal!" she exclaimed.

Akira vaguely looked down, shrugging.

From behind them, Kamoshida shouted for his guards. Ryuji scowled.

"Right, let's find a way out of here," he nodded. They set off.


	3. Awaken!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She's red like roses.

**4/11 - Monday ???**

It was a big space. They walked around, wandering for a while. Ruby kept an eye on Ryuji, but he seemed to be in fine condition despite receiving a severe beating a little while ago. Ruby touched her head. Her bruise was healing really quickly, too. She couldn't get herself too wrapped up in thought though. Along their way up winding staircases, across bridges, they hid and sneaked around to avoid patrolling guards.

The other cells were empty, but once or twice they could still hear a faint echo of a scream. It sent chills down Ruby's spine. If the other two heard the screams, they didn't seem to react as much. This whole thing was already a lot without trying to think about who else was stuck here. Ruby just wanted to get out.

"Hey!" a voice called out from one of the cells as they passed by. They stopped, looked at each other, then looked at the cell where the voice had come from. Ruby couldn't see anybody inside. She craned her neck to see past the bars.

"Down here!" the voice said again. It sounded like a little boy, the more she heard it. She furrowed her brows in confusion. Ruby looked down.

"You guys have to help me!"

The voice was coming from… a cat. A cat?

A cat-like thing. A monster vaguely shaped like a cat. It had an enormous head for its size, it had a little neckerchief, it had whiskers and cat ears. It was a cat. It was very much not a cat.

"What the hell are you?" Ryuji scratched his head. Akira regarded it with confusion. And well, fair, this was like maybe only top 10 in the list of confusing things they had encountered today.

"A cat?" Akira asked. Ruby nodded.

"I am _not_ a cat! Say that again and I'll make you regret it!" the not-a-cat said. Okay, but Ruby definitely got a cat vibe from this thing.

From a little ways away, they heard the ominous clank of guards rushing towards them.

"Guys, come on, we have to get out of here," Ryuji said emphatically.

"We don't even know where we're going," Ruby huffed in frustration. The creature made a little exclamation.

"You guys want to get out of here? I can guide you out!" it said. "The keys are right there, just let me out!"

"I dunno," Ryuji looked at the other two. "How do we know he's not another enemy?"

"I mean, he _is_ locked up here, just like us," Ruby pointed out.

"Glad to see _somebody_ has some sense," the creature huffed in annoyance, crossing its arms. Ryuji scowled at it.

"What do you think?" Ruby asked Akira. He pondered a little, hands still in his pockets, then picked up the keys that were on the floor.

"We don't have much left to lose at this point. Hope you know the way… dude," Akira said, unlocking the cell. The sound of the guards running got closer as he did.

"My name is Morgana. Follow me!" the creature said, taking off.

"Woah, hey! Wait up!" Ryuji ran after it. Ruby and Akira shared a look before running after them.

It didn't take long before they encountered a road block. The road block being a single solitary guard posted up by a bridge, standing guard and on the lookout for any intruders. The group hid behind some boxes.

"What do we do?" Ruby whispered, peeking up over her box to look at the knight. Morgana grinned.

(Ruby had never seen a cat grin before. This was very low on the priority list, but very high on the list of things Ruby had never thought she would ever see.)

"I've got this," it said. It moved lightning quick, hiding behind another box that was closer by. Akira tensed up, then moved to Morgana's location- slower, but surprisingly not by that much.

Ruby and Ryuji hung back.

"God, this is some effed up nightmare, I just know it," Ryuji sighed, leaning his head against the box. "I'm gonna wake up any moment now. Any moment now, I swear."

Ruby didn't have a chance to respond before Morgana leapt out and exclaimed.

"Zorro! Show your might!"

A creature of blue flames leapt out from behind it. A tall, muscular figure, clad in black and holding a rapier. Ruby and Ryuji watched from behind their box.

"He's got one too…" Ryuji muttered.

The aforementioned Zorro sent a gust of wind at the now transformed knight, who barely reacted. Akira, from his post, leapt out. His clothes once again changed in a plume of blue flames. He summoned his own demon to help with the fight. It was over quick at that point, and Ruby and Ryuji jogged up to where the two were as soon as the danger was clear.

"Hm, so you're a Persona user too," Morgana looked up at Akira.

"A… Persona user?" Akira scratched his head. Morgana looked at him, dismayed.

"You don't know anything about Personas?" he groaned, shaking his head.

"Is that what comes out of you guys all dramatic-like?" Ryuji asked. Morgana nodded.

"You see how he tore his mask off when he summoned his? Well, everyone has a mask deep in their heart that they were. By taking the mask off, you're able to-"

"Cut the explanations, Morgana. We need to find a way out of here!" Ruby cut it off. He frowned but nodded.

"Right," it looked back up at Akira, whose clothes changed back into a flash of blue. "It seems like your powers are not yet fully realised anyway. We'll talk more later."

Off they went, and Ruby was starting to feel the frustration well up in her chest. She just wanted to go home. All of this was so weird.

"Wait, hold up!" Ryuji stopped them. Ruby wanted to groan. He went over to one of the cells, where they could see someone inside. Oh.

"Is that…?" Akira quirked his brow. He was looking at the guy in the cell, who was in a Shujin volleyball uniform. What the hell?

"I've seen this guy before, he's on the volleyball team," Ryuji told them. He knelt down to where the guy was prone on the floor. "Hey, can you hear me? What's going on?"

The guy sat up, and he looked at the group with despair etched clear as day on his face.

"L-Leave me alone. You guys are intruders. I don't want King K-Kamoshida to see me talking to you…" he whimpered, pulling away from the cell door.

"What the hell?" Ryuji said. Morgana sighed.

"He's not real," it said, like it was something super obvious. Like _they_ were the idiots for not getting it.

"What are you talking about you dumb cat? He's right here!" Ryuji shot up and shouted at Morgana, who just shook its head.

"He's just a cognitive version of the real person," Morgana impatiently explained. "There's no use talking to him. Now, we have to leave."

Ryuji sighed in frustration, but conceded.

They made their way up some staircases, leading back into the great hall where they had started. There were a couple knights walking around. The group stuck low to the ground and hugged the wall as they surveyed the scene.

"We can't get out from the front entrance, but I think I know where we can go," Morgana said, slinking (in a very cat-like manner) into the shadows along the wall. They followed his lead with trepidation.

Then Ryuji opened his big mouth.

"Ann?" he gasped, a little too loud for his own good. Ruby's head whipped around to look at him, but she caught sight of it too.

Ann Takamaki, in the flesh. In the way too much skin. She was wearing the barest scraps of fabric that could be counted as underwear, as she leisurely lounged in the hall, feeding herself grapes and giggling as she looked on at the gigantic portrait of Kamoshida that Ruby hadn't noticed sat at the center of the back wall. The guards, of course, took immediate notice of them.

"You moron!" Morgana hissed, leaping out and brandishing a sabre (where did he- nevermind. Ruby figured there were bigger problems.)

Akira leapt out too, his clothes changing back again.

Ann leapt out of her chair, screaming in an exaggerated, girlish manner. "Ohmigosh!" she said, in an excruciating facsimile of her real voice. "There are like, totally intruders! Get them!"

She may not have known Ann Takamaki very well, but even Ruby could tell that that was not how Ann normally spoke. Something was very wrong.

Then, from the staircase where they had emerged from, Kamoshida appeared. Guards surrounded them.

"Oh crap," Ryuji eyed the guards as they encircled the group. "Oh crap, oh crap."

Kamoshida scoffed, then walked over to the group. "You lowlifes thought you could pull a fast one on me?"

Ann, or whatever this girl was, immediately bounded over to Kamoshida. She wrapped her arms around him, running her hands all over her body, giggling all the while.

"Oh, Kamoshida! I'm like, soooo totally glad you came!" she shrilly exclaimed. God, she made Ruby embarrassed to be a girl. She looked at Morgana and Akira, who both had their weapons at the ready, but looked increasingly nervous.

"What's going on?" came a voice from the staircase up the hall.

No.

Kamoshida grinned.

Ruby saw her hair before she recognised any other part of her.

But Yang was there all the same. She was wearing the tightest shirt she possibly could, showing as much cleavage as was humanly possible. The rest of her clothes didn't leave much to the imagination either. Ruby felt sick to her stomach again. Yang leant up against Kamoshida, joining Ann in running her hands all over his body.

That couldn't be Yang. That wasn't Yang.

"Y-Yang?" Ruby meekly called out. She quirked a brow, only suddenly taking notice of Ruby.

"Oh," Yang said, the dispassion in her voice clear. "You're here."

"What are you doing here, Yang?"

Morgana summoned his monster. "That's not Yang, lady! That's just Kamoshida's cognition of Yang!"

He summoned a great gale of wind to push back the guards surrounding them, but it didn't do much else.

"Ruby, I told you I would get your sister. To be honest with you, I've been dreaming about her for a while. She's a whore, running around school with those big tits, just begging to be taken," he laughed, then grabbed Yang by the waist, his hand snaking all over her body. God, Ruby was going to be sick.

"You're all going to die. Right fucking now," Kamoshida growled. "Guards, kill them."

"It's not real, Ruby!" Akira shouted as he slashed at one of the guards, who just blocked with his shield. "You have to fight!"

"Ruby!" Ryuji called out, pushing her out of the way as one of the guards crashed their shield into him. He grunted in pain, falling down. She felt a hand grab her arm, saw the white mask atop Akira's face. His expression morphed into intense pain as another knight knocked him out of the way with a terrible shoulder bash.

"That's right! That's what you deserve for crossing me!" Kamoshida cried out, laughing that evil, terrible laugh of his.

Something in Ruby's heart cracked.

The world froze. She didn't understand. Ruby didn't understand any of this. What was happening? Why was this happening? She saw Yang's upper lip curl in disgust as she watched the scene. She saw Ryuji take another blow meant for her.

_They need your help, Ruby Rose._

The voice came from nowhere and everywhere. In her mind, the flashes of gears, ticking down the seconds burned into her mind. Igor. Ruin. She had promised to help.

_That's right._

Ruby felt a hot lance of pain in her mind. She screamed, holding her head as she struggled to get on her knees. She couldn't lie down. She needed to help. She needed to protect her friends. She needed to protect Yang.

_To protect._

She couldn't tell how long she was screaming. The pain seemed to grow and grow. She felt like she was burning. She felt like she was going to die.

_Are you ready to be the huntress you were meant to be? Will you protect those you love with all your might? The forces of darkness bear down on us. Will you be the lightning? Will you call on me?_

"You will not," Ruby got on her feet, shaking, unsteady, but sure as anything. "Hurt them," she felt the mask appear on her face. She grabbed it. "Ever again!"

_I am thou, thou art I. Come, awaken! Victory is in your soul!_

In one swift motion, she tore the mask from her face. The pain didn't even register. The blood flowed freely.

"Come to me, Crescent Rose!"

In her mind, she knew exactly who it was, exactly what she looked like. She didn't need to turn around to confirm it.

A red cloak, spindly fingers wrapped around a blocky weapon. It extended and unfolded into the scythe. The figure whipped it around and planted the edge on the ground. Crescent Rose fired, a thunderous crash that shook the whole room. The shot immediately dissipated the guard closest to her.

Kamoshida backed off, cowering at the towering figure behind Ruby. She pointed at him.

"You're next," she snarled.

He ran.

"Oh yeah! She's got a Persona too! Let's do this," Morgana exclaimed summoning another gust of wind at another knight. Ruby summoned a weapon from her Persona. A large scythe, blood-red, just like Crescent Rose. She began slicing, wielding it with an ease she hadn't ever recalled having. She had the reach, the knights didn't have the manoeuvrability, but more importantly, she had Crescent Rose. They made quick work of the guards. Ruby dealt the final blow, bringing the blade of her scythe to the back of a knight's neck and pulling, slicing his head off in a quick motion. He disappeared, same as all the others.

Kamoshida, Yang and Ann were nowhere to be found. The thought made Ruby burn up.

"C'mon, we have to get out of here before more come around," Akira grabbed her arm. She nodded briefly before they follow Morgana out to a side room, where they unlocked a window to go back to the exterior of the castle.

She kept turning to look back towards Ryuji, concern filling her heart at the slight limp in his jog, one that wasn't there before- at least not as pronounced. His face was screwed up, but he just kept motioning for Ruby to keep facing forward and go.

They climbed out of the window, and the party took a collective breather.

What was all that?

Ruby thought about Crescent Rose. The more surprising bit about all of that was that she actually didn't have that many questions about it. Crescent Rose was a part of herself. She felt a calm wash over her at the thought of her presence in her life. It was like, Crescent Rose was always there, just that Ruby had never bothered to look. The figure was born from her heart. Somewhere deep inside. It felt nice to have a material form.

Man, she needed out of this freaky place.

"God, this has been such a freaky day," Ryuji leant on his knees and exhaled. "How do we get out of here, cat?"

"I'm not a cat!" Morgana exclaimed, jumping up to emphasise his point. "And you get out the same way you came in!"

Akira nodded, then started heading off for the bridge that led down into the street. "Thanks, Morgana," he said as he walked off.

"Yes. Thank you, Morgana," Ruby leaned down to pat Morgana's head before she walked off too. For all his monster cat-ness, he was far and away the most valuable member of their party, if only for his knowledge of everything.

She heard Ryuji say his thanks before he joined Ruby.

"So, that was kind of intense, huh?"

"God I just want to go home," Ruby groaned.

They walked away, and stayed in the same place.


	4. Some Getting Used To

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang makes plans. Akira continues to charm. Yang has a heart with too much to share.

**4/11 - Monday Afternoon**

**Yang!** : _heard you were super late today_

_whats up with that_

**Ruby:** _U_ _h_

_I got caught up with the new transfer student_

_And Ryuji_

_It's not a big thing_

**Yang!** : _kinda sounds like a big thing rubes_

_is everything okay?_

**Ruby** : _everything is fine! Stop worrying_

 **Yang!** : _i_ _am the older sister, it is well within my right to worry_

_oops ttyl teacher caught me on my phone_

**Ruby** : _Big sister Yang Xiao Long, ladies and gentlemen_

 **Yang!** : _shuddup_

Ruby slipped into class easy enough after lunch. She had built up enough goodwill that an evasive shrug was sufficient answer for everybody who asked why she was late. She was guessing that Ryuji and Akira weren't so lucky though. She hoped they weren't in too much trouble.

Ruby found it hard to concentrate in class. For the life of her, she couldn't find it to care about math. It was… math. She was fine at math. She didn't need math. What she did need was to get some time and space to like… think. About the crazy stuff she just went through. She couldn't make heads or tails of it.

So when the last bell rung, she was more than eager to just go home and sit in her room and just think.

Ryuji was waiting as soon as she exited her classroom. He looked around surreptitiously as he grabbed her arm and leaned in a little close.

"Meet me and Akira up on the roof in five," he muttered, giving her a meaningful look before letting go. Ruby just nodded. He left, rounding the corner and disappearing. Ruby tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and sighed.

"Ruby?" a voice sounded off from behind her. She turned to face Weiss Schnee. Classmate, generally way better than her at everything, student council member, and good friend. Unlikely combination, but here they were. Weiss had initially been cold to Ruby, but they had been paired up for a couple projects in first year, and they had gotten to bonding quickly. Weiss was the rich heiress of the Schnee Dust Company Pharmaceuticals, and Ruby was the definition of a normal girl with normal knees, but she found that they complemented each other wonderfully. Weiss made Ruby more thoughtful, and in turn Ruby made her a little more impulsive. They worked well together.

"Hey," Ruby greeted Weiss cheerily, putting it on a little bit. (Could you blame her? She just decapitated a man earlier today. Or something.)

"You seem a little… distracted. Is everything alright? Why were you so late today?" Weiss quirked her head. Ruby put on a smile and shrugged.

"It was raining really hard, you know how it is. And I met the new transfer student. And Ryuji. I got caught up," Ruby scratched idly at her cheek. Weiss didn't buy it at all. Ruby rolled her eyes. "I'll tell you all about it later, Ice Queen. Don't you have some student council stuff to do?"

Weiss frowned, but checked her watch and sighed. "Yes, Makoto wanted to talk to me about something."

"Well you wouldn't want to keep her waiting, would you?" Ruby crossed her arms. Weiss huffed, but conceded.

"You're insufferable sometimes, you know that? And don't call me Ice Queen," she flipped her ivory hair as she walked off.

"I'll stop doing it when you stop smiling!" Ruby called out behind her. Weiss scoffed. "Yeah, she likes it," Ruby muttered to no one in particular. She turned to go up the staircase.

She opened the door to the rooftop to find Ryuji and Akira already there, sitting around on some empty desks. Ryuji waved her over.

"Hey, you two," Ruby greeted them dryly.

"Hey," Ryuji greeted. Akira just pushed his glasses up and nodded.

"So, I guess we should talk about… the thing," Ruby said. Akira nodded.

"Which part? When you two summoned real monsters to help you fight giant knights? Or the weird cat we met? Or- or the effed up version of Kamoshida that locked us up and beat on us? God I feel like I'm crazy just talking about it," Ryuji slammed his fists on the table, out of breath.

Akira pondered for a moment. "He said he wasn't a cat," he said to Ryuji.

Ryuji blinked. Then he burst out laughing. Akira smiled.

"Dammit, how are you so cool about this, man? You're rock solid," Ryuji ran a hand through his spiky locks. He turned to Ruby. "What's your take? Has to be better than his."

Ruby chewed on her bottom lip, taking a seat on a spare empty desk. "I… don't know. I'm having a tough time believing it was even real at all, to be honest."

"But… it was, wasn't it?" Ryuji looked at each of them in turn. He sighed. "Seriously, I'm going insane."

"Maybe we can go back," Akira said, looking at them through his bangs. He adjusted his glasses in thought.

"How? We don't even know how we got there in the first place. I don't even know how we left, man," Ryuji stood up, looking out over the edge of the rooftop. "One moment we were walking to school. The next, we show up at a castle. We walk back out of the castle, and we're suddenly in the alley next to Shujin. It makes no effin' sense."

"Maybe we should retrace our steps," Ruby suggested, swinging her legs. Ryuji snapped his fingers.

"That's not a bad idea, Ruby," he said. Akira nodded in agreement.

"Let's do it tomorrow then," Akira said. He stood up, stretching. "It's been a bit of a day," he shoved his hands back in his pockets.

"You said it," Ryuji rubbed at the back of his head. "And uh… hey. Thanks. Both of you. You two saved my butt back there."

He stared at the ground a bit as he said it, but hey, there was some amount of eye contact. That was progress. Akira nodded.

"Hey, let's exchange chat IDs, so we can talk to each other about all this crazy stuff," Ruby suggested. They both agreed, exchanging their contact info with each other. "Alright, first thing after school tomorrow," Ruby said.

The three of them headed downstairs, down into the foyer as they exited school.

Kamoshida was there. He stood at the doorway, arms crossed as he looked at them. Ruby could sense the way all three of them tensed up. She had to take a bit to disconnect the real world Kamoshida from whatever bizarro world Kamoshida they had met before.

Except, it wasn't all that inaccurate, really. The smug grin was still there. The way his gaze trained on them and dismissed their worth in one quick motion, like he already regarded them as trash.

"Sakamoto, Rose and Kurusu. You three were late today, weren't you," he said.

"What about it?" Ryuji challenged. Kamoshida sneered at him.

"Watch that attitude, Sakamoto, it's gotten you in trouble before. A word to the wise, Kurusu. You should pick your company wisely. The same goes for you, Rose," he turned his attention to Ruby fully, a small grin on his face. "Though you should have no trouble with that, Miss Rose. That sister of yours is already a good influence on you."

He made her skin crawl. Ruby wanted to punch him. Ryuji was already halfway there.

"Thank you, Mr. Kamoshida, I'll be sure to take that advice to heart," Akira said respectfully. "Wanna get some lunch after this?" he turned to ask Ryuji, his face completely deadpan and serious. Ryuji blanched. Kamoshida shook his head.

"Don't get smart, Kurusu," he snarled. Then, deciding this wasn't worth his time, he left.

"God, what a dick," Ryuji growled.

"He's so slimy, it's so gross," Ruby gagged.

"We gotta do something," Ryuji sighed. Then his face changed. He pondered over something, but shook his head. "You serious about that lunch?" he asked Akira.

"I guess so," Akira shrugged.

"I gotta get home, but I'll see you guys tomorrow alright?" Ruby told them. They bid her farewell at the station as she headed back to Yongen-Jaya.

The back streets were cramped as always. Ruby headed up into her home.

"Dad? Yang?" Ruby called out as she unlocked the door, taking her shoes off. Nobody responded. She shrugged, heading into her room and flopping onto her bed. God. Good God. What was all this?

Ruby turned over onto her back, folding her hands behind her head. Personas. Ruin. Crescent Rose. A monster cat named Morgana. All of it threatened to make her head spin, and she barely understood it at all. Ruby blew a raspberry at nothing in particular. Phooey.

And Akira and Ryuji. Who would have thought she would have gotten mixed in with them? She chewed the inside of her cheek. Akira seemed a decent enough person, though he was quiet, eerily so sometimes. His personality had totally shifted when he summoned his demon, though. Ruby remembered his mischievous grin, like he knew a secret you didn't. He walked with more confidence, and he carried himself with such swagger. Ruby didn't know what to make of him quite yet, but he seemed really dependable. He had saved them, after all.

Ryuji. Ruby wanted to sigh. He had never quite forgiven himself for the whole track incident. Ruby didn't know if she could ever fully blame him for it. Sure, he was a hot-head, but he was also nice. Nice, in that dumb, unassuming way that held no other secret intentions. He was easy to read, and he used to be so much more cheery. Ruby was on the track team too, back in her first year. After they disbanded, everyone had pretty much scattered to the winds, grumbling their grievances about Ryuji, blaming him for all of it. Ruby mostly wished he was able to look her in the eyes. At the very least, if she was to be stuck in some stupid situation like this, she could count on Ryuji to have her back. He wasn't ever the type to run away, anyway. She thought back to him taking a blow meant for her, right as she found Crescent Rose.

Ruby sat up, digging into her bag for her notebook. Various sketches and notes were scribbled inside, all in her usual chicken scratch. Nobody had ever accused Ruby of being anything less than a mess. Ruby moved over to her desk, biting her tongue between her teeth as she started sketching. A dark figure, hidden underneath a red cloak and wielding a scythe that was also a gun. What was that? Something out of a video game, or some tv show.

All the same, it felt safe. Ruby wanted to knock her head against the desk even as she followed the thought. But it was undeniable. The moment Crescent Rose had appeared, Ruby had felt powerful and safe. The voice that spoke to her, in her head. She recalled the words.

To be a huntress. To be the lightning.

The words struck a chord somewhere deep inside her. She couldn't place it. She wrote it down next to her sketch. To protect.

She blew a bit of hair out of her eyes. This wouldn't do.

Ruby brought the notebook with her to bed, clutching it close to her chest.

What could it all mean?

She fell asleep before she could chase that thought.

"-ubes. Ruby," she felt herself being shook awake. Ruby jolted, sitting up and gasping. She heard a laugh. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and found lilac eyes staring at her. Yang stood at her side, arms crossed and an amused twinkle in her eyes.

For a brief flash, a revolting wave of nausea gripped her, and she felt the intense need to protect her, to smack her, and to summon her Persona all at once. She sucked in another deep breath, and it was all gone. That other Yang wasn't real. This one was.

"Can't believe you fell asleep in your school clothes," Yang shook her head. "What happened to you?"

Ruby groaned, stifling a yawn. "Mm, what time is it?" she asked. She could see the sky painted orange and she wasn't sure if it was evening or dawn.

"Morning," Yang opened her window and she felt a cool breeze waft in, making her shiver and waking her up a little. Ruby groaned. Her little trip must have taken a lot more out of her than she realised. She still felt tired. Ruby sighed. At least she had had enough foresight to charge her phone yesterday. Ruby grabbed it from her nightstand and yanked out the power cable, seeing that she had a couple of texts from Weiss that she missed while she was asleep.

"C'mon, get showered, I'll get you some coffee," Yang mussed up Ruby's hair as she pathetically attempted to swat Yang's hand away. Yang chuckled, leaving her room. Ruby got out of bed anyway, starting to get ready for the day.

* * *

**4/12 - Tuesday Early Morning**

Akira had the foresight today to ask Sojiro for an umbrella. He gave himself a mental high five as he packed it in his bag and got dressed for the day. He had thought the Shujin uniform looked strange when he first arrived. School uniforms were much plainer back where he was from. In any case, he put the plaid pants on and buttoned his blazer up. He shouldered his bag, heading downstairs. Sojiro had prepared his usual curry for Akira, with a steaming cup of delicious smelling coffee.

He stopped himself from thinking that maybe this whole situation wasn't all that bad. Delicious coffee and curry nonwithstanding, Akira was pretty much having as rough a time as possible. He hadn't been given the kindest greeting at Shujin. When he had introduced himself to his class, everyone had just looked at him warily, making the barest of attempts to hide their not-so-hushed gossip about him.

Akira tried to pay it no mind, but it still weighed on him. He thought about his parents, all too happy to ship him off, to give him a second chance and attempt to lessen the stigma around their family. Hopefully in a year, all of this would just be nothing more than a bad memory.

He thought back to the castle, and something in the pit of his stomach told him it wasn't very likely.

Sojiro sat a couple of chairs away from Akira, reading his newspaper. Akira had yet to decide about him. He seemed like a kind man, he had taken Akira in after all, but at the same time, Akira had heard no end of his grumbling about it. Still, there were little moments of kindness that made Akira rethink his judgement of Sojiro.

He contemplated as he ate his curry, and then came a knock at the door. Sojiro lowered his newspaper, brow quirked.

There, smiling and waving outside the door. Akira couldn't mistake the wild mane of blonde hair. Even if it wasn't real. It was her. Yang. From Kamoshida's castle.

"Heeeeyy Sojiro!" she cheerily sing-songed. Sojiro sighed, but there was enough of a good natured edge to it that put Akira at ease. She must have been a regular, then. Yang was wearing a Shujin uniform too. He lowered his spoon as he swallowed thickly. God, it was a little awkward, when he had seen her (or a weird clone or ghost of her? Akira still wasn't sure) fawning over Kamoshida in what could be conservatively described as immodest clothing. He pinched his thigh, shaking the memories away. At least he had had a little bit of time this time around. He had seen Ann in class immediately after he came back to school, even if she was cold to him. He sighed internally. What the hell had he been caught up in?

"Yang Xiao Long," Sojiro put his newspaper away, standing up and unlocking the front door. "You're never usually around this early. Late night yesterday?"

Yang bowed as she entered. "Always a pleasure, Boss. And no, not me, but my sister seems a little slow to start today. Figured I'd get her some coffee to kick start her day."

Sojiro got behind the counter as he started preparing a drink. Yang was clearly a regular. Akira wondered if that meant she lived close by, coming by so early. He took another spoonful of curry. Yang took notice of him them. She placed a hand on her hip and examined him, like she was trying to place him.

"Well I'll get her regular order right up," Sojiro assured her. Then he looked at Akira, and the sudden realisation came to him. "Oh yeah, you're from Shujin aren't you, Yang? This is Akira, he'll be… around. For a while. He's going to Shujin too."

"Nice to meet you," Akira greeted, bowing his head respectfully. Yang gave him a little wave.

"I've never seen you around before, you're a second year huh?" Yang peered at his collar. Akira shrugged a little.

"I just transferred here," he said. Yang's brows shot up.

"Oh!" she smiled at him, a hand on her hip. Then she frowned, tilting her head. "Hm. You're not like they described you."

"How do they describe me?" Akira asked. Yang huffed out a laugh.

"Like you'll knife someone for staring at you," Yang said. She rolled her eyes. "They're clearly wrong. Look at you. You're a cute little puppy dog."

Akira frowned. He wasn't a puppy dog.

"I'm not a puppy dog," he said quietly. Yang laughed.

"I'm messing with you. Nice to meet you. Yang Xiao Long. Just call me Yang," she held out a hand in a familiar gesture. Akira shook it.

"Akira Kurusu," he said. Yang nodded.

"Here's your coffee, a couple extra sugar packets in case I didn't make it sweet enough for her," Sojiro placed a styrofoam cup and a couple packets of sugar on the counter. Yang placed the money on the counter.

"Thanks a million, Boss! I should make sure Ruby's ready for school now," Yang took the coffee. She turned to Akira. "Nice to meet you, again. See you in school," she winked at him. Akira hummed in thought. Sojiro stroked his beard.

"She and her family are regulars here," he explained to Akira. He frowned. "Don't go getting any funny thoughts, alright? I'm not losing any customers because you can't handle relationships."

Akira furrowed his brow, shook his head, and went back to his curry.

Yang and Ruby. Okay.

Akira finished up his curry, thanked Sojiro for the meal, and was on his way to school. He checked his phone constantly as he boarded the train, making sure he was on the right track. The train accident that had occurred just before he came to town had forced him to change lines at Shibuya in order to get to school. It was confusing. Hell, lots of things about Tokyo was confusing, but the trains were a little bit of a challenge.

The train to Aoyma Itchome was packed, as per usual. He gripped his bag tightly against his chest, squeezed in between an old woman and a seedy looking business man.

A flash of red hair caught his attention. It was a lighter shade than Ruby's, but the colour made him think of her mysterious Persona, wrapped up in that crimson cloak, long fingers coming out to wield that strange mechanical scythe? Gun?

The red haired girl seated in front of him had a Shujin uniform on. She blanched, pulling out of her reverie suddenly. She looked at the old woman who was standing right in front of her with a gasp.

"Oh!" she said, standing up. She motioned for the old woman to take a seat. "Please, take my seat Ma'am-"

Without missing a bit, the man next to Akira took the seat, crossed his arms, closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

Akira ground his teeth. What an asshole.

The girl looked at Akira, then back to the man, a confused expression on her face. He gripped his bag as she looked on in an equal mix of confusion and frustration. She looked at him again.

"You should tell him to move," he said. Her eyes widened, then narrowed as she nodded with resolve. She took a breath.

"Um, excuse me, sir…?" she said to the man. He continued to pretend to be fast asleep. The girl sighed.

"Oh, it's okay dearie," the old woman said cheerily. "You're sweet for offering. It's my stop next anyway. It's nice to see the youth today being so kind."

"Thank you ma'am," she bowed her head. "I apologise for…" she motioned with her head to the douchebag in the seat, shrugging.

Akira shook his head, trying to tune it out. He wanted to give the guy a piece of his mind. But it wasn't a fight worth picking, even if he wasn't on probation.

When the train reached the station, Akira and the girl got out together.

"Hey," she called out to him. Akira stopped and turned to her. The people flowed around them, exiting out of the station in droves. "Thank you, for encouraging me to speak up just now. I find I lose my nerve at the worst of times."

She tapped the toe of her back foot against the floor, shrugging and smiling sheepishly. Akira responded with a shrug of his own.

"Don't worry about it. That guy was a jerk," he told her. She shook her head and sighed.

"It's unfortunate, but… Well anyway, we should get to school huh?" she said cheerily. Akira nodded, and they walked the rest of the way to school together.

"My name is Kasumi Yoshizawa," she said as they walked.

"Akira Kurusu," he replied.

"It's nice to meet you," Kasumi bowed her head.

That was strange. Besides Ruby and Ryuji, Kasumi was the nicest person he'd met in Shujin thus far. He wondered if she just hadn't heard all the rumours about him. Or if he was some sort of outcast just like him. She seemed sweet though, and as cautious as he wanted to feel, his gut told him to have a little faith in her.

"I'm a first year, but I'm sure we'll see each other around school, yes?" she asked, pulling Akira out of his thoughts. He nodded. "I'm looking forward to it."

They parted ways as soon as they passed through the school gates. Kasumi Yoshizawa. Akira hoped she wouldn't have a sudden change of heart about him when she finally heard the rumours. It was a nice change of pace to have someone in school not treat him like a total outsider.

The school day passed by in a blur. Akira was picked on to answer a question or two. He supposed the teachers thought he was an easy target. He had surprised them by knowing the answers though. In fact, he had surprised everyone. Akira scoffed. Of course the asshole that had leaked his criminal records didn't bother to leak his school records too. Akira was a good student, damn it. He had thoughts about going to a good college, getting into something like Law or Political Science. Of course, that was before. Now, Akira didn't have much of a mind for planning for the future. It seemed trite.

Ryuji had made a group chat with Akira and Ruby after he texted him the day before. They had their plans to recreate their steps from yesterday, to go back to the castle. Ryuji had filled him in extensively the day before about the volleyball players in school, their mysterious bruises and how King Kamoshida must have been connected to it somehow. They needed to investigate further. Both Ruby and Akira had agreed.

They all met outside the school gates after classes ended. Students were streaming out into the street.

"Alright, so we just gotta go back to where we met," Ryuji said.

"Outside the station," Ruby said. Akira nodded.

They retraced their steps exactly from the station to the school, and found themselves-

Right back at Shujin Academy. Very much a building and not a medieval castle Shujin Academy.

"What the hell, we retraced our steps exactly…" Ryuji hung his head in dismay. "Maybe if we try again?"

They tried again. Several times. Eventually even Ryuji had to give it up.

"We're missing something," Ruby shook her head, her hands on her hips. "What were you two doing before I walked up?"

"Well he was just telling me about Kamoshida," Akira nudged a thumb at Ryuji.

"And you were," Ryuji's eye lit up. "Using your phone! That navigation app!"

"Navigation app?" Ruby asked.

Akira took his phone out. The eye icon stared at him. He thought he'd deleted that. How did it get back on his phone? He wasn't using it when he was talking to Ryuji. He made a quiet noise in contemplation. Ryuji snatched his phone from him. Akira stared at him in vague irritation as Ryuji started thumbing around on his phone.

"You were using an app to find your way to school, right? I heard your phone say something about 'beginning navigation'. Let's see… What's this?" Ryuji tapped on the eye icon. Right there, clear as day, were the words 'Kamoshida Palace'. Ryuji triumphantly showed them his phone. It surprised even Akira. "This is it! It must be!"

Ruby quirked an eyebrow. "We used a phone app to travel to that castle?"

Ryuji faltered. "Yeah, well, no it doesn't make sense does it?"

Akira took his phone back, looking at the navigation app. Hell, why not? "Makes about as much sense as any of what we saw in there," he noted. Akira looked up at his companions. "Should I press it?"

All three of them shared a look. They steeled themselves for a moment before nodding in agreement. Akira pushed the button, and the world morphed and shifted in front of them. It was like a strange static had overcome his eyes as they found themselves transported.

Back to the castle.

Purple skies. A dark wave of… something. A sinister energy, palpable and unsettling, hissing and twisting like an aura around the castle. The ground felt vaguely wet, like every step was in a puddle. Akira held himself steady, breathing in deep. He hadn't told the other two yet, but something about being here felt right, like there was a purpose to fulfil by coming.

Akira looked to Ruby, whose clothing had changed from her Shujin uniform. She was wearing the clothes she had on when she called her Persona, he remembered Morgana calling it that. She was dressed in reds and blacks, wearing a set of heavy boots, and a corset. Her skirt ruffled slightly in the wind, as did the hood and cloak she had on her back. Her mask covered her face slightly, but Akira could still catch the resolute look in the gleam of her eyes. He looked down then, finding himself garbed in that alternate attire too. He reached up to touch the mask on his face, feeling an unsettling familiarity at the sensation of it.

"Woah, you two are all dressed up? Man, I gotta say, they kind of suit you," Ryuji put his thumbs in his pockets as he observed the other two.

Akira smiled, hands in his own pockets. "You jelly?"

Ryuji's face set in a deadpan expression. "Uh… no. Come on, let's get to investigatin'."

The walked over the bridge, in front of the castle. As they approached, screams started echoing out from inside. Ryuji tensed up.

"It's like I told you guys. I think this place is somehow connected to how the volleyball players are being like, abused by Kamoshida," Ryuji told them.

"In a world where Kamoshida is king… It'd make sense in a sick, twisted sort of way that he'd be torturing the members of the volleyball team," Ruby noted, her expression sullen. Akira considered for a moment. It did make sense, in a way. Clearly this wasn't the real world, but it seemed that it was connected to it in some way. In some places, the edges of Shujin and the castle blurred together, and he could catch glimpses of stone brick turning into regular concrete. It still didn't make sense, but it felt like they were inching somewhere a little closer to the truth. Or some sort of understanding. Ryuji growled, punching the wall of the castle in frustration.

"God, that bastard makes me so sick! He thinks he can just do whatever he wants! He really is the king of this effin' castle," Ryuji shouted.

"Would you quiet down?" a familiar voice hissed from close by. Akira turned to locate the source of the voice.

Morgana, monster not-a-cat extraordinaire. He leapt down from an opening off to the side of the castle and approached them.

"You're going to attract the shadows to us if you keep up this noise," Morgana scolded, crossing his arms. Faintly, Akira wondered how he managed to keep himself balanced with that bulbous head of his. He must have had excellent balance and core strength.

"The shadows?" Ruby asked.

Morgana made a little 'hmph' sound, but eventually sighed, conceding. "I suppose I'll explain the basics to you all."

"I have about a thousand questions," Ruby said. "So let's start with what the hell is this castle doing in the middle of Tokyo, and why is our gym teacher the king of it?"

"This castle is the school. Or, it is to the ruler of it. So, your gym teacher views himself as the king of the castle at school, and so his distorted heart's manifested in this. I call it a palace," Morgana explained patiently. "Anybody can have a palace, if their desires are distorted enough. They manifest themselves in the meta-verse, which is where we are right now."

"The meta- wha?" Ryuji scratched his head. Morgana sighed.

"The meta-verse is a reality where people's cognitions and desires become real," he said.

"So we've entered Kamoshida's distorted heart," Akira said.

"You catch on quick, newbie," Morgana smiled, apparently sufficiently impressed. Akira shrugged.

"Man forget all of that, I'm more interested in the prisoners he has around here!" Ryuji stomped his foot. Ruby frowned at him but nodded. "Kamoshida's abusing the volleyball team! If we find some proof of it, we'll catch that bastard for sure, and he'll finally get what's coming for him. Monamona, can you lead us to where he keeps the prisoners?"

"It's Morgana," he sighed, looking at Ryuji in irritation. He considered for a moment. "Fine. Only if the two of you come along," he pointed at Ruby at Akira.

"Sounds like a plan," Akira said. Ruby nodded. Morgana grinned.

"Alright, let's begin our infiltration!"

* * *

**4/12 - Tuesday After School**

Yang breathed the fresh air in deep. The rooftop was lovely, as always. Lovely and off limits sure, but what Shujin teachers didn't know wouldn't hurt anybody. She had already texted Blake, and was just awaiting her arrival. She went over to the planters in the corner, crouching down and fiddling with the leaves of a few plants. She wondered who came up here to tend to the plants. Clearly someone was taking good care of it. She smiled. At least there was a few good things in Shujin. In the hellscape of entitled, judgemental teens, cutthroat academics, and terrible staff, there was a lovely green tomato ripening on the rooftop.

It was the little things.

"Never pegged you for a 'stop and smell the roses' kind of girl, Xiao Long," an amused voice came from behind her. Yang stood up and found a dazzling smile matching her own. Blake Belladonna, in the flesh.

"I am a mysterious woman, Blake. I contain multitudes," Yang winked. Blake only rolled her eyes, heading over to the desks stuffed on the side of the roof.

"Clearly," Blake said. "What'd you call me up here for?"

Yang tapped on her nose. "It's officially been three years to the day since we met," Yang said, digging into her bag.

Blake blanched, then laughed. "Gosh, has it really been that long?"

"Forever and a day, Blakey," Yang pulled out a little cardboard box, opening it to reveal a small slice of a dark forest cake, Blake's favourite. "Don't tell me you forgot."

Blake blushed, chewing her bottom lip. She averted her eyes and seemed to close in on herself. "I- No, I've just been a little… occupied. I'm sorry."

Yang put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, I'm only teasing," she said. "Happy anniversary, oh best friend of mine."

"I- I actually got you something too, I just forgot to bring it with me," Blake tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'll give it to you tomorrow."

Yang pulled out two forks. "Blake, c'mon. You being here is enough. Stop being down on yourself and eat this cake I got."

Blake took a fork, and the light in her eyes returned somewhat. Yang knew what it was she had been occupied about, and she didn't know what to do. Adam had been harassing her for weeks now. Sometimes she swore she could kill him, if only to bring back the smile on Blake's face. Yang stood up, rounded over the table and hugged Blake.

"I love you, you know that right?" she said. Blake scoffed and hugged back.

"Of course. I love you too," she said quietly.

"Now let's eat," Yang broke off with a kiss to Blake's temple, one that made Blake's cheek tint themselves slightly pink, and Yang had decided a while ago that she so quite loved seeing Blake blush.

"So, I heard Ruby was super late yesterday. What happened?" Blake asked as they started digging into the cake.

"I dunno, she hasn't told me yet. But she said she got caught up with Ryuji and the new transfer student, who by the way, lives super close to us. I saw him at LeBlanc this morning," Yang said. Blake raised her brows.

"The new transfer student? The one that had his criminal record leaked?"

Yang frowned. "Yeah, but," she shrugged. "He doesn't look like a bad kid at all."

"Oh?" Blake quirked her head.

"Yeah! He was just like, sitting there and having curry for breakfast. Sojiro seemed to like him enough," Yang took a bite of the cake to punctuate that sentence.

"Oh, well if Sojiro likes him…" Blake made jazz hands. Yang stuck her tongue out at her.

"No, but I'm serious. I think he's fine, honestly. I should find out from Ruby what his deal is. She conked out after school yesterday in her uniform, books and stuff all over her bed," Yang mulled over the thought.

"Maybe Weiss would know," Blake suggested.

"Are you suggesting that my dear sister would tell Weiss something and not tell me?" Yang said, holding a hand to her chest in mock-surprise.

"Yeah, because those dorks are so obviously in love. Sorry hon, you might have gotten replaced," Blake shrugged. Yang rolled her eyes. Somewhere in her mind, she sighed internally. In love. She looked at Blake, wondering. Wondering.

"I should shoot her a text, though. Wonder what she's up to?" Yang whipped her phone out.

"Weiss?"

"No, Ruby. Weiss is probably off like, winning olympic medals and math competitions or something like that," Yang scoffed. Blake conceded with a tilt of her head. It had been long agreed upon years ago that Weiss was far too good at too many things. Her fatal flaw was probably socialising, but with Ruby, it was less and less of a problem now.

Yang and Blake hung out on the roof for a while, before Blake had to leave for practice for the shooting club. Yang walked her to the practice building, every bit the gentlewoman her father had raised her to be.

Yang decided to go home, checking her phone as she walked out of the practice building. Ruby still hadn't responded to her text. She genuinely wondered what she had been up to lately.

She wasn't looking forward when someone bumped into her shoulder.

Yang was, for all intents and purpose, a tank to this person. They bounced off and fell flat on their ass. Yang yelped in surprise, quickly keeping her phone as she attended to the prone form of the other girl.

"Oh my god, hey, I'm so sorry!" Yang apologised. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm sorry, that was my fault," the girl responded in a deadpan voice. She didn't meet Yang's eyes as she spoke. Yang could clearly see the bruises that dotted along her temple and forearms. She had a brace on her knee, and several more scrapes and bruises along her shins. She looked properly banged up, and more than that, she looked like her spirit was beaten. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking," she said in a more apologetic tone.

"Hey, are you alright? You're…" Yang let her words hang as she eyed her injuries. The girl recoiled back as she noticed Yang's roving eyes, like she had been burnt by her gaze. The girl scrambled onto her feet in a burst of energy, stumbling a little.

"I'm- I'm okay!" she said, just a bit too loud and a notch too high-pitched. It didn't take a genius to see she was lying. "I'm on the volleyball team and I just get a little clumsy sometimes," she forced out a laugh.

"Clumsy?" Yang stared at her. The girl moved her hands to cover up a couple of the bigger bruises on her arms. Yang swallowed thickly. She put on a smile. "Of course. Still, I'm sorry, I was looking at my phone while I walked. I'm Yang Xiao Long."

"Shiho Suzui," the other girl said quietly. Yang nodded.

"Shiho, huh? Okay. It's nice to meet you Shiho," Yang eyed her collar. A second year. It was worth maybe asking Weiss about her. Yang felt a great pang of pity for her. She held herself in a way that made Yang want to protect her. But this wasn't a situation she could impose herself on. "You take care, okay? I'll see you around."

Shiho met her eyes for a moment, and that acknowledgement was more than good enough for Yang. Maybe she could investigate this further.

"Okay," Shiho said. "It's nice to meet you too."

She left without another word. Yang watched her go.

She walked to the train station, Shiho heavy on her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so a couple things i should have addressed earlier i guess.
> 
> the persona series is very mired in japanese culture, down the the language that the characters in the game speak. japanese honorifics are the norm, because the game is essentially a japanese high school sim. rwby is far more western in comparison. so there's an inherent discrepency in this very concept.
> 
> i've taken... a few liberties and suspension of disbeliefs in writing this story. i've omitted all honorifics, because i honestly don't know enough about it to use it accurately. the fact that the rwby cast's names are very much not japanese is also not a very big point of contention, even though in the game, ann's western heritage is a big sticking point. being that i am not knowledgeable enough about japanese culture in general, a lot of japanese elements are kind of glossed over, lets say. this is a decision i've made instead of bastardizing japanese culture, so yeah.


	5. Just Getting Started

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji awakens, and the gang finds their conviction.

**4/12 - Tuesday After School**

Ruby, Akira and Morgana were knocked back by a strong blast of lightning. It singed the ground where it hit, and Ruby felt the residual static around her, convulsing her muscles and stopping her from moving.

Gaaahhhd. She had been electrocuted enough times tinkering with machines to know how much getting electrocuted _sucked_. And she was receiving a crash course in it now. The imposing figure of the shadow and his horse approached the three of them. The first lances of panic began to strike her. Their journey might very well end here. Morgana had explained what would happen if they fell in the meta-verse. The pain was real, and the consequences were real.

She looked to Akira and Morgana, both of whom were struggling to get up as much as her.

Ryuji. She spasmed, looking over to where Ryuji was.

Kamoshida had caught them in the great hall once again, this time by design instead of accident. The knights had ambushed them, and though they put up a good fight, it just was too much.

Ryuji was knocked flat onto the ground. Two knights drew closer, surrounding him.

She needed to get up. She needed to protect.

Ruby tried to open her mouth, tried to move her hands. The mask on her face stayed perfectly silent and still. Crescent Rose was nowhere to be found. All that came out of her was a long, agonised groan.

"You have to fight!" she heard Akira yell from beside her, his voice hoarse and angry. Ryuji brought himself up to his knees, looking at him.

"Don't let them win!" Akira shouted once more. He slowly got up on his feet. Ruby felt the edges of the electricity fade away from her body.

To protect. She felt her chest constrict as she slowly got onto her hands and knees.

"C-Crescent," Ruby ground out. She felt a million times more tired than she ever had before. Her limbs refused to cooperate with her brain. Her breath fell short and her vision started swimming.

Ryuji just watched as Kamoshida approached. He stepped on Ruby's back, forcing her back to the ground. She grunted, struggling limply.

"You're just gonna sit there and watch, aren't you, Ryuji? Always knew you were the spineless kind. It's always all the same with you peasants. And after the kindness I showed the track team in coaching them, too," Kamoshida sighed, looking down on Ryuji, who seemed to gain a burst of energy at his words. Ruby could feel the fire in him burn brighter.

"That wasn't kindness, it was abuse!" Ryuji rose to his feet. Kamoshida scoffed.

"It was kinder than any of you deserved. Besides, the only one that deserves glory in this school is me. I couldn't let that other coach show me up. You were the perfect target to get it done, too. Break the hot-headed star track player's leg and claim self-defence. It was almost _too_ easy," Kamoshida laughed. Ruby tried to struggle against the foot holding her down again. He forced her back down. She coughed as he pressed on her back. He really was an asshole.

"G-god dammit," Ryuji loosened his fists, hot tears coming to his face.

"R-Ryuji," Ruby weakly called out, looking at him. "It's not your fault."

"Shut up, you stupid bitch," Kamoshida kicked her in the side. Ruby groaned in pain.

"Don't let this asshole win," she ground out against the pain.

"Ryuji!" Morgana called out.

"Stand up for yourself!" Akira yelled.

The words seemed to have their intended effect. Something shifted in Ryuji. If Ruby wasn't in incredible pain, she might have noticed that first edge of heat beginning to build up from him. Ryuji firmed himself once more, balling up his fists and tensing his shoulders.

"I'm not going to let you push us around anymore," he said, steely resolve in his voice. "Wipe that stupid grin off your face!"

He immediately doubled over, clutching his head. Through her pain, Ruby recognised what it meant. Her heart swelled with pride. This was it.

A mask, in the form of a metallic skill appeared on his face. With a great grunt of effort, Ryuji pulled it off, letting out a terrible scream.

A violent gust of wind and licks of flame shot out from where Ryuji was. It pushed the knights and Kamoshida back, and it seemed to revitalise Ruby. She felt her strength coming back to her. Her muscles relaxed themselves and she felt energy coursing through her. It appeared Morgana and Akira felt the same. Morgana leapt up to his feet.

"Let's never come back to this stupid hall," Ruby said to Akira, who grinned. She smiled back in kind, then turned to Ryuji.

He looked at his hands, relishing the feeling of his newfound powers.

"Alright, what's up Persona?" he grinned. The knights advanced back up as Kamoshida retreated. "I'm coming for you Kamoshida!" Ryuji pointed at him.

"Execute them! What are you waiting for?!" Kamoshida said as he all but ran away, tail between his legs.

Ryuji summoned his persona with a mighty cry.

"Let's get them, Captain Kidd!"

* * *

They made quick work of the knights after that, the combined power of all four of them overwhelming the shadows quickly. Ryuji was a powerhouse with his Persona. It fit his nature well. His Persona, a man garbed in awesome pirate attire, standing atop a mini pirate ship, was quick as lightning, and hit just as hard. It was kind of exhilarating to watch, if a little distracting. The flash of lightning had sent her rolling out of fear once or twice, before she quickly realised it was Ryuji. In any case, she was more than happy to have him on board.

Heh. On board. Because of the pirate ship. Ruby laughed internally, then sighed, leaning on her knees.

She took a moment to relax. This was stressful. Fighting was super stressful. She could make super cool jokes all day long, but, man. This castle sucked, big time.

"Hey, this castle sucks, big time," Ruby told the others.

"I'd have to agree," Akira said, twirling his knife over in his hands. Ryuji scoffed. He held the metal pipe that he had manifested over his shoulder. It looked like it belonged there, in his hands, resting on his shoulder.

"This is pretty awesome, though," Ryuji examined his new clothes. He was dressed in stylish metal armour. It looked shiny and protective, but designed in a way that let Ryuji's flair shine through. Morgana had told them that Personas were manifestations of the spirit of rebellion inside one's heart, right? She supposed then the clothes were the same. Ryuji's fit him well.

"I'm beat though," Ryuji sighed, sagging as he felt the fatigue in his body. Akira nodded.

"Let's get out of here- we did what we came here to do, anyway," he said. Ryuji nodded.

They had gone into the dungeons of the castle, finding there the volleyball players being mistreated and tortured in all manners. As Morgana had explained, all of it was just how Kamoshida viewed things in the real world, and they were all just cognitive versions of the real volleyball players. After Ryuji had found that his phone's camera didn't work (in fact, none of their phones worked for anything save for Akira's navigation app), he had instead resolved to commit the faces of the volleyball members being abused to memory, intending on confronting them in real life.

"I still got their faces memorised, we can try to do something in the real world now," Ryuji said, satisfied.

As they approached the exit to the castle, Morgana cleared his throat.

"So, now that I've fulfilled my end of the bargain," he began. "It's your guys' turn to help me."

"Help you?" Ryuji scratched his head.

"I need you all to help me regain my true human form, and my memories," he said. He had explained his apparent memory loss to them before. "I'm human, I know I am."

"Uh, sorry cat, but I don't remember making any deals with you," Ryuji crossed his arms. He turned to the other two. "You guys made any deals with him?"

Akira and Ruby shared a look, then they shrugged. Well, it was honest! They hadn't made any sort of deal with Morgana. Helpful as he had been thus far, all of this 'regaining my true form' stuff sounded way, way above Ruby's pay grade. She was a high school student. She wasn't exactly a superhero or a scientist.

"I am _not_ a cat!" Morgana exclaimed. Ryuji tilted his head, then shrugged.

"Well, anyway, good luck with all that," he said simply, then turned around and walked towards the exit.

"Wait, you guys aren't seriously going to leave!" Morgana protested as they walked away. "Aw, I thought we were gonna-"

His words were lost as the trio found themselves in the alleyway next to the real Shujin Academy.

They stood in silence as they stared at each other.

"So, what now?" Akira asked. Ryuji sighed, leaning against the wall.

"Man, I don't know! I want a beef bowl and a 2 day nap," he complained.

"I'm pretty sure that's called a coma, Ryuji," Ruby pointed out.

"Sounds fun," Ryuji kicked off the wall and picked up his bag. Akira chuckled.

"I know how you feel though, I fell asleep straight after I headed home yesterday," Ruby said. "I guess summoning our inner selves to blast monsters really takes it out of you."

"I'd be more worried if it wasn't tiring," Akira said.

"Hey, but seriously. Kamoshida needs to be brought to justice. Something is definitely wrong with the volleyball team, and we can do something about it," he hesitated, looking at the ground for a while before he shook his head and looked back up at the other two. "Are you guys with me? I'm going to need your help."

"Yeah," Akira said without hesitation. "I'm with you."

"I want Kamoshida brought to justice as much as you do, Ryuji. I'm with you," Ruby said. Ryuji pumped his fist, because he seemed exactly like the kind of person who thought fist pumping was a cool thing to do. Ruby felt herself be charmed. She was right. Ryuji wasn't complicated, or hard to read. She had troubles with that sometimes. But with Ryuji, it was easy to tell that he was just a genuinely good person, with the best intentions in mind.

"Alright, so we're gonna do this!" he excitedly exclaimed. Loud and nice. Good ol' Ryuji. If she closed her eyes, they were back on the track team together. Kamoshida hadn't broken his leg. He was still set to get that track scholarship. No castles and spooky monsters in sight.

"There's that volleyball meet tomorrow," Ryuji pulled out his phone, frowning. "But after that we'll be free to just do whatever we want. We'll make a move then."

It was a plan.

With that, they went home for the day. While Ryuji transferred to a different line at Shibuya, Ruby and Akira took the same train.

"You live close, huh? Where's your stop?" Ruby started conversationally as they waited together. Akira adjusted his glasses, a habit Ruby couldn't yet quite decipher the meaning of.

"Yongen," he answered simply, hands back in his pockets.

"Hey, me too!" Ruby said excitedly. "Where do you live?"

Akira paused, then shifted from one foot to another. He looked at Ruby carefully, like he was considering something important. "Café Leblanc," he finally answered.

"You live in Leblanc?" Ruby quirked a brow.

"I live in the attic above Leblanc?" Akira adjusted his glasses again, shrugging. Ruby just stared at him.

"… Does Sojiro know?" she asked quietly. Akira stared back at her. "What's your situation anyway? I know all the criminal stuff is bogus."

"How do you know that?" Akira watched as the train started pulling into the station.

"Well, I mean, look at you," Ruby gestured vaguely at his whole form. "You're like, harmless. Besides, you wouldn't be half as nice if you really did just assault some guy in broad daylight. If the stories are to be believed, you'd stab me for just asking."

They entered the train together, finding two empty seats next to each other.

"I mean, you're pretty handy with a knife, but I've yet to be stabbed," Ruby finished lamely. Akira looked at her warily. Ruby stared at her hands. She felt the air shift. Maybe it was just her. She didn't know if she had touched a nerve or something like that. Suddenly, she just felt extremely bad. "I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's not my business."

They rode in silence to Yongen. Ruby didn't look at him. As they got out of the train together, walking down the backstreets, Akira stopped and turned to face her.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be cold," he adjusted his glasses again. "I'm on probation for assault. It wasn't my fault, but my parents sent me away to Tokyo. Sojiro is my guardian for now. Shujin's supposed to… give me a second chance. I don't get one otherwise."

Something in Akira sagged, like he had just relaxed and given into resignation. He started walking slowly again to Leblanc. Ruby walked alongside him.

"It's been… a really weird time. Even without the Meta-verse. Tokyo and Shujin's been…" Akira let the statement hang in the air. That alone said more than enough. They reached Leblanc. Ruby bit her lip.

"Thanks for telling me," she said. Akira looked at her and nodded. "I mean it. Sorry Shujin's been so crap."

"It is what it is," Akira shrugged. He looked up at the sky and sighed. "Could be worse."

"Could be much better, too," Ruby said. Akira grinned slightly.

"Could be," he turned to walk into Leblanc. "It was nice talking to you, Ruby," he said as he entered.

"Yeah," Ruby said to the closing door.

She stood outside Leblanc for a little bit before she went home. She was still curious for details, but this was more than enough for now. Ruby pondered as she entered her home. His quiet nature made a little bit more sense now. Somehow it seemed dumb to use words like 'sense' ever since they had found the meta-verse. It seemed to her perception was never truly objective, and reality was only as real as you made it.

She hoped she could make Akira's reality a little better.

Ruby took her shoes off, closing the front door behind her. Nobody was in the living room, so she just headed into her room without interruption. She opened her windows, watching the clouds drift across the blue skies, feeling its calming effect. Her mind wandered for a while. She thought about Kamoshida, and Ryuji and the track team. It felt like a long time ago. Ruby had always been a natural runner since young, so when she got into Shujin, the track team seemed like a natural fit. It had been going well for most of the year. They were all doing well, Ryuji especially. Ruby had her moments when they were neck and neck, but when it came down to it, she had to admit that Ryuji was the faster runner between the both of them. She was glad, honestly. Their rivalry fuelled him. He was set for that track scholarship one day down the line.

Then Kamoshida came into the picture, and their old coach left. He ran the whole team ragged, refusing to give them water breaks and blatantly punishing them all out of spite. Every practice ended with more pain that progress. He hadn't listened to anyone who protested, nor was anyone outside allowed to help. He was Shujin's star coach, former olympic athlete after all. He gave the volleyball team the renown. Who would listen to Shujin's mediocre track team?

Ruby wasn't there the day it happened. She had been down with a fever for the past couple of days. But when she returned, the track team was gone, and Ryuji was in a cast and crutches. Nobody said a word to her. Only the student guidance teacher to tell her she might want to look for a new school club. Ryuji grew more bitter, even if Ruby held no ill will herself towards him. She understood why some of the others did. Track was the only escape for some of the other guys. Ryuji wasn't the only one counting on a scholarship. He was just the one that ruined that chance for everyone else.

Ruby held a different view. As quick to act as Ryuji was, he wasn't a bad person. He tried his best for others, and if he did actually try to hurt Kamoshida, she had an inkling that he probably deserved it.

She knew for sure now that he deserved far worse.

Ruby looked back out the window. Reality was what you made it. She could work with that. She imagined LeBlanc in her mind's eye. She thought about Akira sitting in one of the booths, silent in that disarming way about him and enjoying a cup of Sojiro's coffee. She imagined she and Ryuji were sitting with him, talking. She imagined the rain outside and the warmth inside.

Hey, if she could summon a Persona with her mind, whose to say she couldn't manifest a new reality with it too? Sure would fix a lot of problems.

"Rubes?" Yang stuck her head into Ruby's room. Seeing she wasn't occupied, she entered. "Heya. What are you up to?"

"Just relaxing," Ruby answered, sitting up. "What's up?"

Yang sat backwards on Ruby's desk chair, resting her chin on the backrest. She looked a Ruby glumly. "Nothing," she said, then twisted a lock of wild blonde hair in her finger. She sighed. "Blake's been kind of, weird? I think she's still having troubles with her ex."

"That guy?" Ruby asked incredulously. Yang nodded. "That guy sucks! I'll kick his butt."

"God, right?" Yang said, exasperated. "No dice though. Wish there was a way I could help."

Ruby and Yang sat in silence for a while. Ruby had known Blake for as long as Yang did, and she was familiar enough with her troubles. It grated on her, much the same way as it did Yang, though Ruby suspected Yang was much more incensed about it. Though Blake seemed oblivious, and maybe Yang was a little oblivious too, Ruby and Weiss had long figured that Yang was madly in love with Blake. Ruby had a strong suspicion that the feeling was mutual. The topic had never been broached, lest Pandora's Box was to be opened. Ruby felt a pang of anger, and an intense desire to protect Blake. She almost felt Crescent Rose within her, talking to her, affirming her resolve with words of encouragement whispered into her ear. If only.

"Hey, anyway, you still haven't given me the deets on Ryuji and Akira," Yang said. Ruby quirked her brow.

"The new transfer student? You know him?" Ruby tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah. I met him in Leblanc this morning while I was getting coffee. He was eating Sojiro's curry for breakfast. Gotta say, he totally isn't like all the rumours make him out to be," Yang jerked a thumb behind her towards the direction of the little café. "Didn't I tell you all this?"

"No, you didn't," Ruby wrinkled her nose. "Yeah. Akira seems like a good guy."

"So how'd you meet him?" Yang asked.

"It was raining yesterday as I got out of the station, and I didn't pack my umbrella. He and Ryuji were taking shelter underneath an awning. I joined them I guess," Ruby replied evasively. "We got lost trying to guide him to school."

"You got lost?" Yang asked incredulously. Ruby looked at her and shrugged. They locked eyes for a while, silver on lilac. Ruby didn't budge. Usually she lost this battle of wills, ever since they were kids. Not this time. Mostly because she could tell the truth and Yang still wouldn't believe her. A rare opportunity where Ruby Rose knew how to keep her mouth shut, but here it was.

Yang finally conceded, giving a half shrug. There was a moment of silence, then Yang changed the subject. "Hey, do you know someone named Shiho from school? Second year girl, black hair."

Ruby thought for a little bit. She sounded a little familiar. "I think she's in Ryuji's class. Why?"

Yang chewed her bottom lip. "I bumped into her- I mean literally bumped into her. She seemed… I don't know. She had all these bruises and stuff all over her face and arms. She said it was from her volleyball practice, but that just doesn't line up. People don't get hurt like that in volleyball, right?"

Ruby's heart sank. "You think she's… being abused?" Ruby asked. Yang breathed in, then nodded.

"At home, or by some messed up boyfriend or something," she clenched her fist, shaking her head. "It makes me sick to think about. She seems like such a sweet girl."

"Yang…"

Yang stood up, stomping over to the doorway. "Just help me keep an eye on her will you, Ruby? I want to try to help."

"Of course," Ruby said quietly to the second retreating figure in as many hours.

Shiho. Ruby flopped back on her bed, pulling up her phone. It was worth asking Ryuji about.


	6. The Worst of It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Volleyball at Shujin is, at the best of times, dull and at the worst of times, painful.

**4/13 - Wednesday Morning**

Weiss. Hated. Volleyball.

This was a universal truth, in every version of Weiss in every alternate universe that ever existed beyond infinity.

So at the volleyball meet, Weiss was sat in the bleachers with her chin in her hand, her crossed legs bouncing (a habit she'd picked up from Ruby- damnable as it was, Ruby had stripped down her prim and proper persona somewhat). She couldn't be bothered to even follow the matches. People were crowded around the hall, watching with excitement as people hit the ball over the net into the other side, and then back over to the first side, ad infinitum, on and on and on.

Truly, any more of this and she was liable to smash her face into the nearest wall. She felt the same way when her father made her attend corporate dinners, but at least there she had to focus her attention on keeping up appearances, boring as it was.

"You seem engaged with this match," Ruby said, taking her seat next to her as she returned from the bathroom.

"Oh, it's absolutely thrilling," Weiss said, voice drenched in sarcasm. "I can't get enough of it."

Ruby snorted, bringing a leg up onto her seat and resting her chin atop it. Entirely unlady-like, yet somehow endlessly endearing. She watched the match intently, Weiss noticed. Her face morphed into one of extreme concentration. Weiss wondered what was going through that head of hers. Ever since the day she'd been late, she had seemed thoroughly preoccupied with something, though she'd been evasive on what exactly it was.

"Do you want to get lunch after this?" Weiss asked, breaking Ruby out of her reverie. She eyed Weiss with a small smile. Weiss rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's my treat."

"Oh? What's the occasion?" Ruby asked. Weiss tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I don't need an excuse to have lunch with a friend," Weiss said simply. Ruby poked at her side.

"You're nice, but you're never usually this nice without prompting. Did something good happen?" Ruby prodded. Weiss swatted her away, huffing in mock irritation.

"Please," Weiss scoffed. Ruby replied with silence. Weiss finally sighed. "Fine. We just haven't talked much lately. I was going to tell you about Winter."

"Winter?" Ruby quirked her brow. Weiss cracked, a big smile blooming on her face.

"She's coming back for a while on some business. I'm going to see her this weekend," Weiss said. Ruby clapped in excitement, gasping.

"That's great! I'm happy for you, Weiss," Ruby squealed. Her excitement was infectious, and her genuine joy at the news sparked a wave of emotion Weiss couldn't name. All she knew was that she was happy that she was seeing Winter, and she was happy that she could tell Ruby about it.

Winter was, as Ruby would put it, a super cop. Weiss had rolled her eyes when she had said it, but she couldn't exactly refute the claim. Besides, it was pretty fitting. Winter was in Interpol, her work frequently taking her far and away from Tokyo. Their father had been less than pleased, wanting Winter to take over the family business, but Winter wouldn't be cowed. Weiss wanted to sigh at the thought. Now the future responsibilities of the Schnee Dust Company business fell to her. Weiss didn't want it either, but.

She looked at Ruby beside her, bright and shining. There was always a but, like a leash to keep Weiss from straying too far off her intended path. She wanted to keep the things she loved. She knew she couldn't. Weiss shook her mind off of those thoughts. They were for another time. Quiet days and lonely nights.

"So, how about it?" Weiss asked once more. Ruby bit her lip, looking at Weiss apologetically.

"Can I take a rain check on that? Sorry Weiss, I made plans with Ryuji and Akira," Ruby motioned over to the far side of the hall, where Ryuji's bright blonde hair stood out amongst the sea of black and brown. He was sitting with a boy with glasses and shaggy black hair. He was the new transfer student, Weiss assumed he was the Akira Ruby spoke of. Weiss frowned.

"You weren't kidding the other day," Weiss said. Ruby shrugged. Weiss stared at Akira. From this distance, she couldn't see anything but his vague features prominently. Weiss had heard all the rumours, of course she had. She had seen him around the school once or twice, and he didn't seem anything but quiet. She knew better than the believe the vultures at Shujin. They just wanted a new target for their gossip. It seemed the flavour of the month had changed from Ann Takamaki to the new transfer student with a criminal record, as well as the odd buzzing about the perfect honour student and gymnast. Weiss sighed. She hadn't gotten into the student council to hear about the gossip among the student body, but here she was.

Ruby seemed to think Akira was alright, if she was spending time with him. Ryuji was a different story. Weiss had a few more reservations about him. He was extremely coarse and vulgar at the best of times, and he was involved in that extremely controversial incident with Kamoshida that had led to the disbandment of the track team. Ruby had told her he wasn't a bad person, but- well sometimes the other girl was far too trustworthy.

Weiss felt like she was born with an innate cynicism that Ruby was missing. Ruby always chose to see the best in people. Maybe that was the key difference between them. All people had ever done for Weiss was prove her right. She glanced at Ruby. Exception non-withstanding. Her eye caught Yang on the far side of the hall, leaning against the wall and chatting with Blake. Okay, a _few_ glaring exceptions non-withstanding.

Maybe she was wrong about Ryuji yet. Maybe she was right. Either way.

"You still haven't told me what happened," Weiss said. Ruby pulled the other leg up to her chest. She blew her bangs out of her face.

"We found ourselves in another reality, we found a castle with an evil king and we had to try to overthrow him. We're still trying," Ruby stage whispered, looking around to see if anyone had overheard her. Weiss sighed.

"That's the plot of Narnia, isn't it," she rolled her eyes the hardest she had all day.

"They went into a wardrobe in that one, I think," Ruby said. Weiss shoved her lightly. "Fine. We just got caught in the rain while getting to school. We took shelter at the same place, I made nice with them and then we got a little lost while trying to get Akira to school."

Weiss made a little hum in the back of her throat, then shrugged. Clearly Ruby wasn't telling her the whole truth, and she didn't want to. Weiss wouldn't pry if Ruby didn't want her to.

"Rain check," Weiss said then, nodding. Ruby leaned over and rested her head on Weiss' shoulder briefly.

"BFFs," she stage whispered again. Weiss took a cue from the Xiao Long family book and flicked Ruby's forehead. She giggled and pulled away.

Endlessly endearing. Dammit.

They continued watching the stupid volleyball match. It turned out that even doing the dumbest things with the right people turned out to be fun.

Then Yuuki Mishima got hit in the face with a volleyball. Hard. Weiss had barely been paying attention, but it seemed like Mr. Kamoshida had spiked it. Mishima fell to the ground in a sprawled heap. It seemed he was barely conscious, if at all. Weiss saw Kamoshida look at him, and in his face she saw an all too familiar look. Barely held contempt, clear as day on his face. Weiss knew that look. She lived in that look. For a minute, she could see Jacques Schnee on that court instead of Mr. Kamoshida. Her heart rate climbed a little bit.

Then the expression melted off instantly, replaced with a convincing look of concern. He headed to the other side of the court, apologies quick on his lips. He crouched near Mishima, who was still on the ground dazed. She could see blood starting to pour from his nose. Weiss stood up.

Then a shaggy-haired figure stepped up, hoisting Mishima up, arm around his waist.

"I'll take him to the nurse," he said, voice firm and clear. Kamoshida stared him down, but Akira didn't seem to back down. He moved around Kamoshida and supported Mishima as they walked out of the hall.

Kamoshida stared at them as they left, then clapped his hands and smiled, directing everyone to continue the game. The students around all broke into a murmur, a low buzz of gasps and whispers. Someone went in to substitute Mishima. Everything went on.

Weiss looked at Ruby, whose gaze was trained on Kamoshida, the anger and disgust on her face pronounced. She swept a lock of hair away from her face, then her gaze shifted to the far side of the hall, where Ryuji stood with a similar expression on his face. They shared a look.

"I've gotta go, Weiss," Ruby said. Without another word, she stood up and descended the bleachers, heading out of the hall. Weiss noticed, Ryuji did the exact same thing. Their absence wasn't noticed by anybody.

Something had shifted. Weiss felt it the moment she caught sight of Ruby. She had never seen her friend holding such contempt.

What was she up to?

* * *

**4/13 - Morning**

Okay, yes, fine. Everybody had told Akira to stay out of trouble. And yes, the only reason he'd ever gotten into trouble in the first place was because he was framed while trying to do a decent thing. And sure, he could be viewed as potentially a big idiot for trying to stick his nose right back into doing things that were ethically right and practically dangerous.

There was going to be a 'but'. Akira frowned. He didn't have a 'but'. He sat in the nurse's office while the nurse checked on Mishima. He didn't know what had possessed him to step forward to help Mishima. Maybe it was the look on Kamoshida's face. Maybe it was because he knew Mishima was in volleyball, so he would be a good source of info. Maybe Akira just had a thing for hopeless causes.

Maybe Akira was the biggest idiot on the face of the planet. He took his glasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose. Still no 'but'. There was no way he could figure out a proper justification for his actions. It just seemed like it was right, and he had to do it. In his bones, there was no question about it. He did it because it was just the right thing to do.

The thought made him sick. There was no such thing as the right thing to do anymore. He had done all the right things all his life, and here he was. On probation at a school that was scared of him at best, and vilified him at worst. He sighed quietly. Did his parents love him or hate him, that they shipped him off to Tokyo?

Fuck.

"He needs a little more rest to stop the bleeding. You can go back to the volleyball meet now, you know?" the nurse drew back the curtains and looked at Akira. He put his glasses back on.

"I'd like to talk to him for a little bit, if that's alright?" Akira stood up and tucked his hands into his track jacket pockets. The nurse tapped her pen against her clipboard twice, then shrugged.

"Fine," she said. "Just don't be too disruptive."

With that she sat back down at her desk and put her earphones in, continuing the show she was watching on her phone when they had come in. Akira nodded, though he knew she couldn't see. He approached Mishima.

"Hey," he said. Mishima looked at him in confusion, though Akira had a sneaking suspicion it wasn't because of the lingering effects of the blow he had taken.

"…Hey?" he said. A little slow. Maybe it was the ball to the face. It had been one hell of a volley. Mishima shifted to sit on the edge of the examination bed he found himself on.

"I'm Akira," he introduced himself. Mishima winced a little.

"I-I know," he said, then looked at the ground. "We're in the same class."

Akira blanched a little bit. Oh. He hadn't noticed him really. Though, it was only his, like, third day in school. Still.

"You okay?" Akira asked after a little bit of silence. "Took quite a hit there."

Mishima gave a little forced chuckle. "Yeah… I must not have seen it coming. I'm alright though, really. It's…"

He let the sentence hang in the air, his eyes downcast. Akira shifted on his feet, challenging it with a silence of his own. Mishima eventually shook his head.

"I'm okay. You get used to it being on the volleyball team. We all get hit like that," he said, his voice flat. Then, his eyes widened all at once. He tore his gaze from the floor to look at Akira. "I-I don't mean it like- I just meant we all endure things like this all the time. Not that, it doesn't always happen all the time. It's just sometimes Coach Kamoshida-"

Mishima stopped talking. Akira pushed his glasses up on his face. He withdrew his hands from his pockets.

"Mishima, what happens in the volleyball team?" he asked. Akira had to tread lightly here. This was a good shot to gather some information, and potentially convince Mishima to-

"Forget I said anything, okay? I'm- I need to go rest now. Could you- could you please leave?" he stammered out. He didn't meet Akira's eyes anymore. He shifted his body away from Akira.

Hm.

Akira shook his head. "I hope you feel better soon," he said, hands back in his pockets. He turned and left without another word.

So, it was something. As good as an absolute confirmation, by the look on Mishima's face. Wouldn't hold up in court, but the courts could stick their laws up where the sun don't shine, far as Akira was concerned.

Akira went to the bathroom, locking himself into a stall. He took a deep breath, then released it.

What have you gotten yourself into Akira?

He couldn't believe it. Everywhere he was, he seemed to rub up against the worst people. Adults who took advantage of everyone. Shitty people who just never thought about anything that wasn't for their own gain.

He hadn't thought it possible. The world, the people who surrounded him- things had never seemed this bleak when he was younger. Had people always been this terrible and he had just never noticed? Had he just always been too naïve? He suddenly missed the ignorance. It was a sight better than the blinding, ugly truth: that people will screw you over if they want to, and there isn't a damned thing you can do about it.

The face of the man who framed him for assault flashed in his mind. He remembered the flash of police lights, the handcuffs, tight against his wrists. He remembered the helplessness. He never forgot it.

He had thought, he had hoped beyond hope that maybe this year in Tokyo would have passed him by quietly. He could keep his head down and do the things the way people expected him to, and just coast through unnoticed. Maybe one day this whole period in his life would just be another chapter in his life, one he could look back on and barely remember the details of.

But (there it was, the 'but') no dice. It seemed like fate had other things in store for him, because the first thing he came across in Shujin was undeniable proof that the school's volleyball coach was abusing students. And now he couldn't look away. That was the cherry on top, really. No matter what, it couldn't cross Akira's mind to just walk away. He didn't have it in him to do it.

So here he was on the raggedy edge, and all he felt was gravity's tug and beckon.

Akira bit his fist.

God dammit.

He pulled out his phone and texted Ruby and Ryuji.

 **Akira:** _We've got to meet up._


	7. The Rising Silence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang finds Morgana in the real world and comes to a couple revelations. Yang tries her best to help Shiho.

**4/13 - Wednesday Afternoon**

Ruby, Akira and Ryuji stayed quiet as they each processed all the information they had.

It all led to the same conclusion, of course.

Kamoshida was abusing students, and there was some sort of cover up going on.

Akira had all but gotten confirmation from Mishima. Ruby and Ryuji had gone around confronting various volleyball students, each sporting their own wounds and scrapes and bruises, each denying vehemently any insinuation (Ruby) or accusation (Ryuji) that had come up. But none of them had any explanations of their injuries that lined up. Each and every one had the same response.

Kamoshida was the best thing that ever happened to the volleyball thing, and Shujin in general since he brought so much prestige to the school. He ran the team hard because it brought results. There was no abuse going on. So on and so forth.

The only person that hadn't outright told them off was Shiho Suzui. Ryuji had told her before, when she had asked him on Yang's behalf. She was in the volleyball team and was Ann Takamaki's closest friend. Shiho hadn't gotten angry or anything. She just seemed sad, and asked them to leave her alone.

If her bruises didn't confirm it, her behaviour sure did. Yang was right. It was all the signs of abuse. Only it wasn't something at home. It was Kamoshida.

Ruby had to wonder, how far did it go? Did the teachers know? Did the parents? And why wasn't anybody saying anything? How could the volleyball team just take all this?

Ruby looked at Ryuji, knowing the answer in her heart even as she asked herself the question.

Some people weren't so lucky as to be able to walk away.

If they had any doubt that the things they saw in Kamoshida's castle didn't relate to the real world, they had been quickly dispelled. The students who were being hurt the worst had been the quickest ones to tell them off. They were defending a bad person. Ruby knew it. She just couldn't stand the thought.

Ruby sighed, leaning back on the bench.

"I can't even bring the energy to be angry about this," Ryuji muttered, though his balled fists were shaking. "This is just… insane."

"They all know," Akira said. "All the volleyball players. And they're not doing anything."

Ruby and Ryuji shared a look, memories of the track team fresh on their minds.

"They're scared," Ruby said.

"Or… they ain't got no other choice," Ryuji supplied quietly. He leaned against the wall of the roof, then sprang off and started angrily pacing back and forth. Ruby could almost feel the heat coming off of him.

"There has to be… effin' something!" He stomped his foot down and growled. "Something we can do!"

Ruby and Akira looked at him.

Ruby felt something deep in her gut then, a feeling that drew her to the meta-verse. She knew that there was something, something that needed to be done there. If the castle and the distorted heart that created it was affected by the real world-

If the meta-verse was related to the real world, then maybe the opposite was true too.

"Let's punish the king," Akira said, almost reading her mind. She whipped her head to look at him, and it was almost like there was a silent understanding that was shared between them. A common purpose that they suddenly shared.

"I was just thinking that," Ruby said. She and Akira stood up at the same time.

If they could affect the real world by doing something in the meta-verse, then well, why wouldn't they try it? After all, Ruby Rose in the real world was just an average high school student. She couldn't do much.

But Ruby Rose in the meta-verse had a scythe, and a Persona. She was a badass, rose red Grim Reaper.

She smiled.

"We bring Kamoshida Castle down," she said. She swept her fringe away, turning to face Akira, who had an equally wide grin on his face.

"Woah… do you mean we go back?" Ryuji stared at both of them, eyes wide. Ruby and Akira both nodded. It was the perfect plan. Well no, it was kind of half-baked and full of question marks, but it seemed so simple, so obvious. She didn't know why they hadn't thought about this when they first learned about the true purpose of the meta-verse. They had all awakened to awesome powers there, surely there was a reason for it. This was it.

"I finally found you," a familiar sounding voice called out to them. Ruby's heart gripped with panic, looking to the door to the rooftop. If she was caught on the roof-

Well nothing would happen to her, but she was more concerned with the other two with her. Ryuji's rep didn't need any more reason to plunge further down, and Akira was on probation.

But the door remained closed. She had half expected the president of the student council to be there, her arms akimbo and that scary, disapproving expression on her face that reminded her a lot of Weiss. And that wasn't right. The voice was familiar, but she was sure it wasn't Makoto.

It was more like-

"Down here!" the voice called out again. Ruby looked down and found a black cat at her feet, somehow looking at her angrily.

Wait, an angry black cat. No way.

"Wait… is that…?" Ryuji started.

"Morgana?" Akira adjusted his glasses.

The cat leapt up onto a desk, sitting down on its haunches. It looked between the three of them.

Okay, so Morgana was a real cat.

"You _are_ a cat," Ruby said, her mouth moving a little faster than her brain. Morgana looked at her, irate.

"I am _not_ a cat, I keep telling you guys!" Morgana screeched.

"Okay, okay, sorry!" Ruby apologised, but shared a look with Ryuji. Because, right here in front of them, was a black cat. Named Morgana. It was Morgana and he was a cat. Morgana was a he, right?

"I made my way out of the meta-verse. I guess this is the form I take in the real world ever since I lost my human form," Morgana craned his neck to look over his own cat body. "But I'm glad I found you all."

"Yeah, um… hey. What's going on?" Ryuji scratched at the side of his head.

"I overheard you guys talking about Kamoshida. I can help you," Morgana said, standing upright now. "That is, _if_ you all agree this time to really help me."

"What do you mean?" Akira asked.

"You guys are looking to use the meta-verse to change something in the real world, right? That can be done. All you have to do is steal the palace ruler's treasure," Morgana said, his cocky attitude bleeding into every word he spoke. For a cat that needed their help, Morgana sure was confident.

"Steal their what? What'll that do?" Ryuji asked.

"I'll explain more _once_ you all agree to help me out," Morgana said, shrewdly eyeing each of them. Ryuji looked to Akira and Ruby.

"Man, what do you guys think? We've had no luck so far. This couldn't be any less helpful than what we've been doing," Ryuji sighed. Akira nodded. Ruby took a deep breath in.

"Okay, Morgana. We'll help you find your memories and regain your true form, if that's what it takes for you to help us with Kamoshida," Ruby said.

"That's what I like to hear. Okay, so back to my explanation. Every palace ruler has a treasure. It's the source of their distorted desires, the reason why they manifest a palace in the first place. By stealing it, you'll trigger a change of heart in your target. It's what Phantom Thieves do. They steal distorted desires from those who deserve to be punished," Morgana said.

Ruby blinked. That was a lot of new information to take in.

"Why didn't you tell us this sooner?" Ruby asked, her hands on her hips.

"I didn't know if you guys were up to being Phantom Thieves," Morgana said, somehow conveying a shrug. Even though he was a cat, and to the best of Ruby's knowledge, cats couldn't shrug. She sighed internally. She needed to get over this cat situation quick.

"So… we can just make Kamoshida change his mind? Turn over a new leaf, just like that?" Akira asked.

"Yep. It's as easy as that," Morgana said. Then he paused. "Well… Not so easy as all that, actually."

"I knew there was going to be a catch," Ryuji grumbled. Ruby had to agree. It all seemed too cut and dry, even at the prospect of going back into the meta-verse and confronting Kamoshida and all those shadows again.

"We're not doing something intangible when we steal a target's treasure. We're quite literally stealing their desire. But as humans, desire is something we need to live. A desire to eat, form bonds, get out of bed- those kinds of things. If we mess this up, we could steal those kinds of desires accidentally too. Kamoshida could end up catatonic, or dead," Morgana explained with an air of seriousness.

Dead. The word hung in the air like a bad stench. It weighed heavily on each of them. Kamoshida was a bad person, of that Ruby had no doubt. But did he deserve death? And if he did, Ruby didn't know if either one of them were equipped to carry out that judgement. They were all high school students for crying out loud!

"I… didn't realise the meta-verse was that dangerous," Ruby said quietly, her hands tight at her sides. Morgana nodded.

"We could… kill Kamoshida? Damn. He's a bad dude and all, but…" Ryuji let his unspoken words settle around them. They were all thinking the same thing.

"It's… heavy," Akira said quietly.

Morgana sighed. "You guys don't have to decide it today. Take a couple days. Meet me back here then and tell me your decision."

The decision to mess around and potentially risk killing someone. A bad someone, to be sure, but still. The thought knotted up Ruby's stomach something fierce.

With that, Morgana left. The three of them silently went home, the decision hanging over their heads like a thunderstorm was brewing.

They didn't know the decision was being made for them.

* * *

**4/14 - Thursday After School**

Ruby didn't talk to either of the guys the entire school day. They had texted a bit when they were home, questioning their intent and the possible consequences of their actions. Lots of if/thens and maybes were being thrown around. Nothing was being resolved. Ruby hadn't gotten much sleep over it, and judging by the quiet, sleepy nod Akira had given her when she saw him on the train, he hadn't gotten much sleep either.

She kept herself focused on the actual school part of school to distract from what Morgana had said. She spent time with Weiss during lunch, and even if she looked at Ruby funny and sighed about her eye bags and nagged at her to get a proper sleep schedule (this wasn't the first time Ruby had pulled an all-nighter, but it was certainly this first time it hadn't been because of a new video game), she still enjoyed the time she spent with the other girl. She always did.

But still, at the edges of her mind, the question circled like water going down the drain. It swirled and battled with itself. It was like a tether keeping her grounded. It was like a leash around her neck.

It was like chains around her wrists.

Was this ruin? The thought occurred to her. Igor's face flashed in her mind. She hadn't had that dream in a while.

Just as class was being let out at the end of day, Ruby caught up to Weiss.

"Hey," she called out to her. Weiss turned around, her ivory ponytail whipping around elegantly as she did. Ah, ever the Ice Queen.

"I'm just about to head off to a meeting Ruby, did you need something?" Weiss asked. Ruby bit her lip.

"If you could do something good, but a bad guy had to die for you to do it, would you still do it?" she blurted out. Ruby covered her mouth immediately, cursing her damnable mouth. Her brain caught up, panting and leaning on its knees to tell her 'no, stop it idiot'. Little too late. Weiss quirked her head.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

"Uh… yes? No?" she pursed her lips, looking at Ruby. Ruby fidgeted on the spot, squirming under Weiss' questioning gaze. "Is this another Game of Thrones question? The show ended a while ago, Ruby. I already told you I thought the ending was bad."

"Uh," Ruby forced out a little chuckle. She swept some hair from her face and smiled wide. "Right. I'm sorry. Forget about it."

Weiss pursed her lips. She shook her head. "You know, you're pretty weird sometimes."

With that, Weiss turned away and walked off. Ruby sighed, feeling especially stupid. She wished she hadn't stopped under the shelter that day. Hadn't proved much more than difficult for her thus far. Ruby went to the bathroom and washed her face, hoping it would help to clear her mind a little bit. It did very little. Ruby gripped her bag tight and walked out of school.

She met Akira at the school gates, talking to a girl with red hair. She smiled wide at him, and he regarded her with a cool look. Ooh la la, had the bad boy of Shujin already found himself an admirer? Ruby waited for them to finish speaking, the girl heading back into school as Akira walked off in the other direction. Ruby jogged up to catch up to him.

"Looks like you've already found yourself an admirer," Ruby nudged his arm as she matched hist gait. He blinked at her in mild confusion, then frowned.

"Her? No way," he scoffed. Ruby laughed.

"I dunno, Akira. She looked like she was pretty happy to see you," Ruby teased. Akira rolled his eyes.

"You heading home?" he asked. She nodded. They chatted amicably as they got on the train, though Ruby could feel the elephant in the room, only growing more and more in size as the minutes passed by.

"So… have you thought about it yet?" Ruby asked after a period of silence. The train arrived at Shibuya and they got off at the station. Akira adjusted his glasses as they walked with the crowd.

"I have," he said, his usual cool demeanour appearing just a little bit more frayed this time. "I haven't come to a conclusion yet though. I think we might need more information first."

Ruby sighed. They walked towards their line.

"I know… but the decision is still going to remain the same, and the risks-"

She paused, stopping in her tracks. Akira stopped right alongside her. Just a short distance away, Ann Takamaki was having a very heated conversation on the phone.

People gave her a wide berth, most giving her an erstwhile look, but moving on. This was Shibuya after all. This wasn't even the weirdest thing in the station square.

Ruby looked to Akira. His gaze was intently focused on Ann.

Ann, who looked angry, but whose eyes were glassy.

"You said you wouldn't do that to her!" she hissed into her phone. "Shiho-"

Ruby's ears perked up. She'd heard that name before.

"I told you I'm not feeling up to it! And you can't just go around asking me at school about it, you're a teacher!" she wasn't even bothering to keep it discreet at this point. Ruby's eyebrows shot up.

"This has nothing to do with Shiho, so stop-"

The line disconnected, and Ann Takamaki crumpled to her knees and started sobbing.

Akira didn't look like he thought twice about it. He approached her, kneeling on one knee. His hand cautiously hovered above her shoulder as he called out her name.

Ann's head shot up, looking at both Akira and Ruby. She looked mortified, scrambling back up to her feet.

"You- you guys, what are you- How much of all that did you hear?" she took a few cautious steps back. Akira stood back up.

"Some," he said, shrugging slightly. Ann looked to Ruby.

"Sorry," she muttered. Ann looked away. "You okay?" Ruby asked gently.

"Dammit," she sighed at the ground. She put a hand on her forehead. "Dammit," she said a bit more forcefully.

"Hey," Akira reached out slowly. Ann swiped his hand away instinctively.

"You two just… just leave me alone, okay? I just need to be alone. This is all a misunderstanding. You guys didn't hear anything," she babbled. Ann gripped her bag tight, the tears still welling in the corners of her eyes. She turned on her heel, taking a step to head down the stairs into the underground walkway. Ruby stepped forward and grabbed her gingerly by the elbow.

"Let us help," Ruby said softly. She walked in front of Ann. "C'mon."

Ann rubbed at her eyes. "You don't even know me," she hiccoughed. Akira stood at her side.

"Maybe that's a good thing," he spoke quietly. Ann shook her head, the tears falling freely now as she found herself trapped between the two. Ruby gave Akira a meaningful look. He nodded in response.

This was their missing link. This might have been what they needed. At the very least, Ann Takamaki was a thread they hadn't started pulling on yet, and this was the perfect opportunity to do it.

Besides, Ruby couldn't ever ignore a crying girl. She got the feeling that Akira couldn't either.

It was kind of weird. It was kind of cool. She and Akira could read each other like nothing else. Ruby didn't even have this kind of instant understanding with Weiss. Well, no, that was a bad example. Weiss kind of hated her at first. But, still, her point still stood. Akira moved to Ruby's side, and offered a hand to Ann.

"Wanna talk?" he asked her, simple as that. Ann looked at them, sniffling. She swiped her tears away quickly on the sleeve of the hoodie she wore so often underneath her blazer.

"Okay," Ann all but whispered. Ruby reached to Ann's hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

They found themselves in a cafe in Central Street. Ruby led them here. She liked to come here with Weiss; it was perfect for talking. It wasn't too crowded, and the staff generally left them alone. They found a booth and sat, Ruby and Akira across from Ann. Ruby frowned, then switched seats.

"It's not an interrogation," Ruby remarked off-handedly. Akira shrugged. A waitress came around to take their orders. Ruby got some drinks for each of them, brushing them away when they reached for their wallets. Akira lived in an attic and she wasn't about to make Ann pay for anything when she had dragged her here. The drinks came and they sat in silence for a while. Ann sighed.

"It started maybe a couple months ago," she sighed. Her light blue eyes seem to fade in colour as she spoke. She dipped a finger into her drink, circling the rim absently. She was a million miles away, somewhere deep and dark. "Kamoshida- He'd... talk to me. Then he insisted on getting my number. He talked a lot. I... never knew how to react in the moment. I kept doing my best to run away from it."

Akira shifted slightly in his seat. He clenched his jaw slightly.

"Then he got Shiho onto the starting team for volleyball. I was so proud of her," she looked up at them. "Shiho Suzui. She's my best friend. Kamoshida started pressing me then. Saying he'd take her off the volleyball team if I didn't..."

Ann sniffled, quickly swiping the heel of her palm through her eyes to stem the tears. "I don't know what to do," she said. Her voice was flat. She shook her head. "Why am I even telling you guys all this? I don't know you, and you don't know me."

"Ruby Rose, Akira Kurusu," Ruby motioned between her and Akira. "And you're Ann Takamaki. See? We know each other now."

Ann scoffed, though the barest hint of a smile played in the corners of the mouth. "You know what I mean."

"It's because we don't know each other," Akira said after a small pause. "It's a little easier to assume the best in other people that way."

Ann smiled for real then. "Yeah, I guess so."

Ruby looked back at Akira.

The decision was being made.

* * *

**4/14 - After School**

It was just a little later in the day, after school had ended, when Yang bumped into Shiho again.

This time their meeting was less physical, though barely. Yang had to put an arm out to hold Shiho's shoulder to stop her from crashing into her. She startled at the sudden contact, her eyes jerking upwards to look at Yang. She relaxed slightly as she recognised Yang.

"Oh- I'm so sorry. Not again," Shiho said, shaking her head in dismay.

"No biggie," Yang said, an easy smile on her face. "You should look up more when you walk around though. Makes it easier."

"Yes, I'm sorry, I've just been…" she chewed her lower lip, then crossed her arms. "A little preoccupied."

"I'll say. You alright, Shiho? You're looking a little pale," Yang said, concern growing on her face. Shiho stared at her a good while, then shook her head, a small smile plastered on her face.

"I'm fine, thank you. I've just been working hard during volleyball practice," she said. Her gaze, though directed at Yang, looked a million miles away.

"Hey," Yang said, bringing her back to reality. "You wanna have lunch? I'm feeling up for a bite and I don't really fancy eating alone."

Shiho just stared at her, her gaze hesitant and questioning. Yang stood her ground, trying her best to look open and inviting.

"I'd like to… I've got volleyball practice in a while," Shiho said, casting her eyes back down to the floor.

"C'mon, I've got the lady at the school shop holding two of those Yakisoba Pans for me. No pressure or anything," Yang cocked a hip and flashed her most winning smile. Shiho's eyes widened.

"No way, how'd you manage that?" she asked, her voice filled with awe. It was the most emotion Yang had ever heard from the younger girl.

"Tell you if you come with," Yang winked. Shiho bit her lip, then finally relented with a nod.

"Okay," she said, and that was all.

Truth was, Yang had an in with the lady at the shop because she was friends with her dad. Apparently they both had been friends when they were in high school. She had regaled her with many a tale of Taiyang Xiao Long's high school misadventures. He had been a bit of heart throb apparently. Yang hadn't even asked for the Yakisoba. She had just offered it for Yang and Ruby. No way in hell was she going to turn it down anyway. It was delicious and highly sought after. Yang loved them anyway.

Perks of being a Xiao Long/Rose.

Yang got the goods, and she sat with Shiho on the benches by the vending machines on the first floor. Besides the roof, this spot was the most peaceful place in school.

"So, Shiho. What do you like to do?" Yang started conversationally as they began to eat. Shiho looked at her with a mouth full of food, chewing quickly to begin answering her. She looked like a squirrel stuffing acorns in her mouth to prepare for the coming winter. Yang laughed. Shiho blushed, turning away from her as she chewed and swallowed her food. She stared at Yang indignantly. She reigned it in a little bit, motioning for Shiho to continue.

"I'm good at volleyball. It's pretty much the only thing I do nowadays," Shiho answered. Her voice held a hopeful lilt to it, even if her face grew a little more sullen.

"And you like it?" Yang prompted. Shiho tilted her head slightly.

"I… yes. I do," she answered, and though hesitant, Yang seemed to sense that it was the truth. "My friend Ann says I should explore other hobbies, or dedicate my time to other things, but… I'm really not good at much else."

Yang quirked her brow. "Ann Takamaki?"

Shiho nodded, her expression and body language tensed. Yang immediately understood the reason why. The rumours were there, they were always there. That was the insidious thing about being an attractive woman: everybody suddenly gains an opinion about you. Male or female, everybody had everything to say. It was hard to do anything without public scrutiny. Yang would know. Before Ann had entered school, _she_ was the resident hot blonde. Yang had shrugged off the comments and the hushed whispers. She got into the school's martial arts club in her first year, and she figured that that had scared off more than a few people. Yang sympathised with Ann in a lot of ways.

"Are you two close?" Yang asked.

"Yes," Shiho answered, just a little too quick and hot.

"That's good. It's always good to have someone in your corner," Yang said. Shiho relaxed a little bit. Her mind wandered a little to the people in her own corner. Blake, first and foremost. She didn't know how she could do anything with her.

"Yeah," Shiho agreed, a small smile on her face.

"She's right, you know," Yang continued. "Having other interests isn't about being good at them or not. It's just whatever you find interesting. Like, I'm into singing, but everybody I know _hates_ me at karaoke night."

Shiho giggled. An honest to goodness giggle. The sound of it lifted Yang's spirits. Yang smiled, spurned on by this new turn.

"It's true, when I sing, _it sounds like thiiiis_ ," she belted out, loud and off key. Shiho burst into another fit of giggles, covering her mouth as she doubled over with laughter.

"I'm sorry," Shiho said, once she recovered. "I don't mean to laugh."

"It's fine. I know I'm bad at it, but singing is fun, y'know? I don't do it for other people to tell me how good or bad I am at it. I do it because I like it," Yang said. Shiho considered her words, then nodded.

"Maybe you're right. Still, volleyball is all I know…" she said, her uncertainty palpable.

"It's all you know for now. There's always time to find something new," Yang said. Shiho smiled, the words of encouragement spurring her on.

Then a guy walked in. He looked like he was covered in fresh bruises on his arms. His head had been bandaged up, flattening down a part of his spiky black hair. He had the same downcast look that Shiho did when Yang first met her. He walked with a slight limp.

"Shiho…" he said as he approached them. He looked at her, then Yang. He swallowed thickly, his hands instinctively covering up part of his forearms.

The same as Shiho.

"Mishima? What is it?" Shiho asked, her voice suddenly had a little quaver to it that it didn't just a minute ago. Yang could sense her hesitation and fear, like a deer suddenly catching sight of a predator stalking it, ready to run and leap away at the first sign of trouble.

"Um… Coach Kamoshida asked me to get you," he told her. His posture seemed to fold a little more into himself, if that were even possible. Yang tilted her head. She looked at Shiho, and it was like poof, all that relaxing and opening up was gone. Shiho looked pale, and her expression grew... hollow. If that was at all possible. Like someone had sucked out her spirit. Like someone had turned down the lights behind her eyes. It broke Yang's heart to see.

"I, uh," Shiho turned to Yang as she stood. It made Yang want to reach out. How was this happening? Why was this happening? Things were fine just a moment ago. "I have to go now, Yang. Thank you for lunch."

She walked away without another word, before Yang could voice the protest on her lips. Before she could reach out and grab Shiho by the wrist and tug her away somewhere safe.

Volleyball. Kamoshida. Shiho.

The other guy (Mishima, was it?) lingered just a little longer. Yang looked at him. He seemed caught up in his own thoughts. Something like worry. Something like guilt.

"You okay?" Yang asked. He blanched, blinking at Yang as he was brought back in the moment. He gripped his arm.

"Y-yeah. Sorry," he shook his head, looking back down at the ground. "I'm sorry," he muttered again, then walked away.

Yang sat for a while. It seemed like there were lead weights around her feet. Her mind spin round and round like a record that had finished playing. She wanted to go after Shiho. She wanted to wipe away the smug grin that was always on Kamoshida's face. She wanted out of Shujin. She wanted to know what Ruby was up to. She wanted to help Blake.

All these wants, and she had nothing to show for it.

She went home after a while. Nothing to show for it.

Ruby was home when she got back. Yang flopped on the couch next to her, sighing.

"Heya," Ruby greeted, offering her some chips. Yang took them gratefully. "That's a bad sign," Ruby said. Yang rolled her eyes as she grabbed the bag of chips from her. "That's definitely a bad sign. What's up?"

"A girl can't enjoy her junk food?" Yang asked.

"You only really enjoy junk food when you're in a bad mood," Ruby said. Her little sister was far too astute for her own good, she swore. "Is everything okay?"

Yang leaned over and put the chips on the coffee table. She made a little noise of irritation in the back of her throat. She explained to Ruby about the time she had spent with Shiho. Ruby listened attentively.

"So this Mishima guy comes in out of nowhere, and asks her to go to Kamoshida's office. Suddenly, Shiho's- Man, I can't even explain what happened in the moment. It's like she morphed into a different person, Rubes. Hundred to zero, just like that," Yang snapped her fingers.

If she had noticed Ruby's expression, she would have seen the mortified expression on her sister's face. In Ruby's mind, she was connecting the dots.

"And just like that she left. The Mishima guy was weird too. All the volleyball guys are," Yang shook her head, slouching further into the couch. "Something's going on with Kamoshida. He's always been the world's biggest creep, but... I don't know. Just going off of Shiho's behaviour, it might be Kamoshida who's..."

Yang sat up a little. She considered her own words.

That was insane. There was no way this could happen in school unnoticed. There was no way. Somebody would have noticed by now. A teacher, or another student or something. It seemed too far-fetched.

Or was she just hoping that it was?

"I don't know," Ruby said, her voice sullen. She looked at her phone, biting her lip. "Somebody's got to do something, right?"

Yang sighed. Fat chance. There was never a somebody to do anything good in Shujin. If something needed to be done, Yang would have to do it herself. Not that she had the first clue where to begin. She just needed to keep talking to Shiho, then. To coax the truth out of her, find some way to get her the help that she needed.

"Something has to be done, that's for sure," Yang said. Ruby looked at her, then nodded. She stood up, mumbled something about homework, and retreated into her room.

Yang sat on the couch for a while more.

Something had to be done.


	8. Two Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a windy day, and if Shiho closes her eyes up on the ledge, shuts the rest of the world out, she could pretend like it was peaceful- that Shujin wasn't a hell she'd been forced into. Like the day before didn't happen. She opens her eyes, and she can only see one way out.

**4/15 – Friday Morning**

Ruby started the day feeling like she was underwater. It was a strange feeling. A two-step away from dissociating- a muddy, slow feeling. The school day crawled its way through the minutes, every second a little more agonising than the last. The decision was coming up soon.

The decision was coming up soon.

She had texted the guys last night. Akira had explained everything that happened with Ann, and Ruby had told them about Yang and Shiho. Ryuji was outraged, of course. Ruby found it hard to argue with him when he said it felt like the right thing to do, to change Kamoshida's heart, even if it meant risking all their lives. It was a strange, strange thing, to be considering the life of one of the worst people she'd ever had the displeasure of knowing. To value it so highly because it was a human life. Somewhere, in Ruby's core, she felt like she had to believe that there was some shred of good that Kamoshida brought to other people, to the world. Some sliver of a reason why they couldn't go through with this.

There had to be. There _had_ to be.

Then, a scream from outside the class interrupted her thoughts.

Everyone looked outside to see someone in the hall pointing and screaming at the window, at something in the courtyard.

"Oh my god, she's going to do it!" someone shouted down the hall.

"She's not going to jump, is she?" someone else yelled.

All hell broke loose. Everyone started gasping and shouting and headed out of their classroom to look outside the window of the hall. Teachers couldn't rein anybody in. Ruby glanced at Weiss. They barely missed a beat, rushing out of the classroom to look.

Weiss pushed people out of the way. Ruby held close to her rear. She looked out and saw-

"That's… Shiho!" someone beside her gasped. She whipped her head around and saw Ann. Ruby looked back out of the window.

The girl on the ledge, black hair and knee brace on one knee. It was a little hard to tell, but-

God. No way.

She felt sick to her stomach.

Shiho took a step forward and-

People screamed. Nobody louder than Ann. Ruby moved in a blur, pushing herself out of the crowd. Ann sprinted down the stairs.

A hand steadied itself on her shoulder. Ruby took a big, gasping breath. She was definitely going to be sick. She didn't just see that. That didn't happen. Akira appeared beside her, Ryuji by his side.

They didn't exchange any words. Akira just gave her a hard look, and they ran down the staircase, into the courtyard where Shiho-

Ruby couldn't recall the full scene afterwards. She wouldn't know if she had repressed it or if she was too scared to look in the moment. She saw her shoe lying on the grass. Heard Ann's cries. Saw red soaking on the grass patch. Ann was kneeling next to her, screaming and crying. Ryuji, Akira and Ruby were one of the first ones there.

Ruby couldn't tell what was happening. Everything was still a blur, she was still underwater. She was still dreaming, she had to be. In her mind, she tried to call forth Crescent Rose. Something. Something to give her some semblance of control. Nothing came forth. She had to wonder where Crescent Rose was. Whether there truly was somebody residing in her heart.

Beside them, Yuuki Mishima covered his mouth with his hand and took in short, hissing breaths. He stumbled as he backed away from the scene, turning around into a dead sprint into the practice building.

"Mishima," Akira said, his voice full of steel. It spurred something in Ruby. It brought her forward, brought her back up.

"He knows. We're going after him, come on," Ryuji said. He sounded like he was teetering on the edge of fury. Akira took Ruby's hand, and dragged her along with them. Ruby's feet stumbled, but she went along. She had to. She had to, now.

They found Mishima on his knees at the end of a hallway, retching. He was whimpering and gagging, and Ruby took in a shuddering breath.

"Why'd you run?" Ryuji asked, his voice dangerously low. Mishima barely reacted, his whimpering turning into full on sobs. Ryuji brought him up to his feet, clutching the front of his shirt and slamming him into the wall. "I asked you why you ran, asshole!"

Akira placed a hand on Ryuji's shoulder, prompting him to let go. Mishima stayed on his feet, taking in big gulping breaths to steady himself.

"You knew," Akira said, his voice more even, though no less dangerous, than Ryuji's.

"I- I didn't know, I swear to God I didn't know!" Mishima protested. "I just- I just did what he asked me to- Oh God."

"What did he ask you to do," Akira asked. Mishima just continued sobbing.

"Pull yourself together, you bastard," Ryuji looked at him disdainfully.

"Ka-Kamoshida just asked me to bring her to his office yesterday, and he- He seemed really mad about something, and I don't know what he did, I swear, please you have to believe me I swear!" Mishima whimpered.

"Yesterday," Ruby's heart sank to the floor. Ann's call with him. Kamoshida being angry. Yang telling her about Shiho. It all clicked at once. Akira looked at her. His eyes widened, as he caught on.

"Guys?" Ryuji asked, their attention turned away from the sobbing mess that Mishima crumpled into. "What's going on?"

"Ann rejected Kamoshida yesterday," Akira said. "He was mad, he threatened to do something to Shiho."

"And Yang told me that he called Shiho to his office," Ruby said.

"He… that bastard. He must have done something," Ryuji growled.

"We're going to his office, right now," Ruby said. Her head felt murky still, but there was a bright shining beacon. Somewhere in there- that Kamoshida had to pay. Her mind didn't register how, or what, all she knew was that she needed to see him, to see his face right now.

It appeared the other two were in agreement. They followed her as she ran to where his office was. The other students in the halls didn't even register in her mind. Nothing else did. Just the next step, the step after that, the image of Shiho atop the ledge, her next step. Her blood started to boil. She was running on pure adrenaline.

She didn't knock, suffice it to say.

"What did you do to her?" Ruby asked. Kamoshida was just sitting at his desk. He turned to them with a vaguely bored expression. She wanted the scythe back in her hands. "What did you do to Shiho?"

"Shiho Suzui?" he asked, his brow quirked, a perfect picture of innocent curiosity. An act, a liar, a perfect monster. "Yes, I heard. Poor girl," he said, shaking his head and shrugging.

"Quit acting dumb, you piece of shit! We know what you did!" Ryuji shouted beside her. His innocent expression melted, morphed into something more sinister. There it was, something a little more familiar. King Kamoshida was here, and he was being disrespected by those lesser than him.

"Oh yeah, and what do you know?" he challenged, crossing his arms.

"Mishima told us," Akira adjusted his glasses.

"Goddamn coward," he muttered under his breath. "Still, you all don't have a single shred of proof do you? Awfully bold of you to come here and accuse _me_ of doing anything to that poor Shiho girl."

"Get her name out of your goddamn mouth!" Ryuji burst out, shaking with barely restrained anger.

"What are you going to do about it, Sakamoto?" he smiled in that slimey way that only he could. A smile that could only come from the knowledge of his untouchable status. Ryuji clenched his hand into a fist, rearing it back lightning quick and-

Just as quickly, Akira's hand clamped around his wrist. Ryuji looked at him in surprise. Akira just shook his head. Ryuji shook him off, but let his hand down. Instead, he kicked a nearby chair, sending it crashing into the cabinet nearby.

"That's right Sakamoto, you better get ahold of that temper of yours, or we might have another incident of 'self-defence'," Kamoshida sneered.

"You're a monster," Ruby said.

"And you're all going to be expelled. Insubordination, threatening a teacher. No, this won't do at all. I'm bringing this incident up at the next board meeting," Kamoshida sat back down at his desk, shaking his head and tutting. Anger and panic flashed through her in equal measures. "You can kiss this school goodbye. Especially you, Kurusu. On probation for assault, no less. You're going back into juvie. Mishima didn't tell you that he leaked your record to the school too, did he?"

Akira was silent. He just put his hands back in his pockets and stared defiantly into Kamoshida's eyes.

"Course he didn't. Now get out of my sight, all of you," he turned back to his laptop. Ryuji slammed a fist into a wall.

"Asshole! You can't do this!" he exclaimed.

"If you haven't gotten the memo yet, you numbskull, I can do whatever the fuck I want," he turned slightly to sneer at Ryuji again.

Ruby turned to her companions, the anger in her slowly deflating, giving way to despair. Icy cold, numb despair. There wasn't a single shred of good in Kamoshida. There was no redemption, no regret, no morality. There was just King Kamoshida and the people under his rule. Ruby shook her head.

"Let's go, guys," she told them quietly. Ryuji hotly turned on his heels and stomped out of the room.

"We'll be seeing you, your highness," Akira said to Kamoshida before he left. With that single statement, she felt it all become clear. She felt like she had her head above the water for the first time all day. Nothing could be clearer. The decision had been made. It had been made the moment she saw Shiho atop the ledge. It had been made when she heard Ann's screams. It had been made when a girl was outside his door dying because of him and he was still sat at his desk, not bothering.

Kamoshida had to pay. They had to make Kamoshida pay.

Classes were cancelled for the day, and the trio met up outside school.

"There's no doubt about it anymore," Ruby said to the other two. Her hands had barely stopped shaking since the whole thing. "We have to do this."

"Even if it means we risk killing him," Akira said, leaning against the wall of the building opposite the school.

"There's no other way," Ruby said, her voice resolute. She shouldered her bag, blowing her fringe away from her eyebrows. She shut her eyes. A shoe on the grass brought her eyes back open.

"So we're all in agreement then, yeah? That bastard needs to get what's coming to him," Ryuji cracked his knuckles. Akira and Ruby nodded.

"It seems you all have made up your minds," a familiar voice called out from the air conditioning unit right about their heads. Morgana leapt down, settling himself atop an old bike leaned against the alley. "I saw what happened to that poor girl... did you guys know her?"

Ruby shook her head. "Not really. We just know she was nice, and that Kamoshida... drove her to it."

"That doesn't surprise me," Morgana said, his voice even. "A guy with a cognition like that in the meta-verse..."

"Speaking of, explain to us exactly how we're going to do this," Akira said. Morgana nodded.

"It's like I told you, somewhere in the heart of Kamoshida's castle is a treasure, something that is the cause of all his distorted desires. We need to infiltrate it, find it, and steal it. Once we do, his palace will collapse, and his distorted desire will be gone, and he'll change. Easier said than done, but hey, you guys seem up for it," Morgana said. Akira adjusted his glasses.

"And how can we mess it up and potentially kill him?" Akira asked, deadly serious.

"We'd have to mess it up pretty hard, but the main thing is we can't kill the actual cognitive version of him. I... don't have the full explanation for it all, but it's basically like someone losing themselves. They become husks of themselves, or worse," Morgana said.

They stayed silent for a while, mulling over the thought.

"No, I'm not backing down," Ryuji said, fists clenched. "Kamoshida has to go down, doesn't matter if-"

"I want in," a voice came from beside them. They startled, looking at the entrance of the alleyway to find Ann standing there, her arms crossed, her eyes puffy and red and her expression deadly. She stared them down. "Whatever it is you guys are planning, I want _in_ ," she said again.

She looked like, well, like she wanted revenge on the person who caused her best friend to try and kill herself.

"Ann," Ruby stood up straight. She reached out for her, and Ann recoiled sharply. She looked at Ruby and Akira angrily.

"Shiho's in the hospital, in a coma. I-" her voice broke a little bit, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She wiped them away. "I know you guys are planning something," she motioned to Ruby and Akira. "And even you're involved, Ryuji. I want in."

"We're not planning anything," Akira told her flatly. Ann scoffed.

"Don't bullshit me," she hissed, venom in her voice. "I don't care if you guys are going to poison him, or strangle him in his sleep. That bastard deserves it," she paused, then lifted her blazer up a little bit. Blood stained a part of the hoodie she wore underneath it. Shiho's blood. "My best friend is dying in a hospital, today isn't the day to start messing with me."

"Ann, leave us alone," Ryuji said. He stared her down. "We're not doing anything, and it's none of your damn business anyway if we are. Haven't you been the one getting cozy with Kamoshida this whole time anyway?"

That struck a nerve. Ann stared at Ryuji with murder in her eyes. Ryuji didn't back down. Ruby felt conflicted. On one hand, they didn't need to involve any more people in this than necessary. But at the same time, she didn't want to deny Ann the revenge she so clearly deserved. Hell, Ruby would be feeling the same if it was Weiss atop that ledge. But- and she looked at her companions to reaffirm it- this wasn't anything Ann wanted to be part of.

"I'm sorry Ann, you have it all wrong," Ruby said, taking a step back. Ann continued to stare bloody murder at them, before she stomped away, cursing under her breath.

They all breathed a collective sigh of relief as she left.

"Man, that was harsh," Ruby said to Ryuji. His face fell and he sighed. Even Akira nodded, looking at his friend with a quizzical expression.

"I know, I know, I feel bad. But we needed her off our backs quick," Ryuji rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. He shook his head. "It's dangerous, and we shouldn't bring her into it," Ryuji bit his lip, looking off into the direction Ann had left in. "She deserves better."

"Who was that? She was... beautiful," Morgana sighed. They all looked at him with equally quizzical expressions.

Did the cat just express attraction to a human woman?

King Kong, eat your heart out.

Akira shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "So, the plan is on, right?" he asked. The others nodded.

"We'll get started tomorrow, after school then," Akira nodded to the others.

"Alright, then you should all get rested up in the meantime," Morgana said. He paused then, tilting his head. "So where am I gonna live?"

"Uh... what?" Ryuji asked.

"Well, you guys are gonna help me get my human form back right? Me living with one of you guys for now is part of the deal," he said, and like, no it wasn't but. Well he was a cat, so it wasn't a huge ask.

"Not at mine," Ryuji said. "My mom hates cats."

"I'm not a-" Morgana started.

"Not a cat, yeah, yeah," Ryuji interrupted, making a babbling motion with his hand as he rolled his eyes. "If it looks like a cat, and acts like a cat," he smirked, crossing his arms.

"It's gonna scratch your eyes out like a cat," Morgana growled, tensing up as he leaned on his front legs.

"He's also talking like a human person," Ruby pointed out. Then she frowned. "Hey, wait can you just talk like a human? Can everybody hear you?"

Morgana shook his head. "Only people who have perceived my form in the meta-verse. To normal people, I just sound like a normal cat."

"Thus supporting Ryuji's theory," Akira noted. Morgana hissed at him.

"Just tell me which one of you guys I can live with," Morgana said, irritation lacing every word. It made Ruby kind of want to giggle. They had an angry cat. This was cute. She liked cats. Her face fell a little. Her dad, however, did not. She had heard him say it was something he had picked up from Uncle Qrow, notorious cat hater.

"Not at mine either, Dad hates cats too," Ruby shrugged. Morgana turned to Akira.

"Looks like your place it is," Morgana said, happy as a clam. Cat. Happy as a cat? No, that didn't work. Ruby made a mental note that this whole thing might be making her a little bit more insane.

Akira shrugged. "Can't make the attic any worse. Hope Sojiro doesn't mind."

"Aw, he's a big softie, he'll love the cat," Ruby gave Akira a thumbs up. He smirked, then unshouldered his bag and unzipped it.

"Well, hop in," Akira told Morgana. He grumbled, but jumped in. Akira slung the bag gentle over his shoulder. "Comfy?" he asked.

"Ugh, let's just get a move on, alright?" Morgana sighed. They walked to the train station.


	9. Ain't No Grave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Yang meet and find a common purpose.

**4/15 - Friday After School**

Yang called soccer practice off that day, texting the team. None of them raised a word in protest. All the better too, because she would have bitten their head off if they had.

She sat at the benches where she and Shiho had been just the day before.

Just the bright shining day before.

Yang felt numb.

She thought about her face, the look on it when she had been summoned by Kamoshida. The way she walked, like she was already more ghost than person.

Maybe she was. Maybe it was something she knew, that Yang hadn't.

She thought about Shiho's smile. Reserved, shy, but brilliant. She thought about the people she could have continued making happy with that smile. She had made Yang happy, just for a little bit. What about Ann Takamaki? Yang wondered if Shiho was thinking about Ann while she was up there. She wondered if she had been thinking about her, about how they had smiled yesterday. Yang wondered if she should have reached out yesterday.

Maybe she should have seen something earlier.

Yang held her head in her hands. She hadn't seen her jump. She just saw how Shiho was lying in a crumpled mass in the courtyard, how Ann was crying over her body. The paramedics had taken her away. Was she even alive? Yang didn't know. She didn't know what happened after Shiho left yesterday. Maybe she didn't know Shiho at all. Maybe she didn't know anything.

No 'maybe' about it.

"Should've done something..." she mumbled to herself. Yang sat up straighter, crossing her arms and sighing. It had only been a couple days that she'd known Shiho. She didn't even know her well enough to feel the pain this keenly. She felt selfish for feeling hurt. It couldn't even begin to compare to what Shiho was going through.

Ann Takamaki stormed into the area. Her eyes shot open as she noticed Yang sitting there. Yang blanched. What were the odds?

"Sorry, I didn't realise someone was here," Ann ground out behind grit teeth. She turned to walk away. She looked sad beyond measure, and angry too. Yang's heart hurt at the sight. Oh Shiho, what's happened?

"Hey," Yang called out before Ann could walk away. "You're Ann Takamaki right?"

Ann turned back on her heel hotly. "Yeah? Is there a problem with that?"

Yang swallowed thickly, shaking her head and holding her hands up in deference. "Hey, I'm not- I'm sorry, that's all," Yang ran a finger over her knuckles, biting her lip. "I know you and Shiho were close. Is she... is she still, um," Yang let the question hang as she begun to wring her hands.

Ann's expression immediately softened a bit. Sorrow replaced the blazing anger in her eyes. "She's... in the hospital," Ann said. She hugged her frame tightly. Yang nodded mutely. They stayed in silence for a few moments.

"Did you... know her?" Ann asked, breaking the frigid quiet. Yang shook her head, then sighed.

"Kind of," Yang said, tapping a nail on the bench she sat on. "She seemed like she... needed a hand. I thought I'd try talking to her a little," Yang shrugged, smiling sheepishly. Ann tilted her head in question. Yang leaned back on the bench, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.

"She had mentioned bumping into a really nice third year recently," Ann said, smiling ruefully. Yang huffed out a little laugh.

"Yeah, she spoke really highly of her best friend," Yang said. Ann leaned against the vending machine. "I don't know what happened, yesterday she was just fine until-"

Yang caught sight of Ann's face. Her face was screwed up in... pain? Yang stood up, holding her hands up.

"I'm sorry, I- I can't imagine what you must be going through right now, Ann, I didn't mean to-"

"What happened to her yesterday? I didn't see her at all. You must have been the last person to see her," Ann cut her off, holding Yang's gaze. She had an intense look, a fire burning behind her eyes. Yang felt her core burn.

"I- We were talking, then someone from the volleyball team went and got her to go down to see-"

Shit.

Shit, she was right. Yang felt shame start to well up, the flames being fanned, starting to burn her up from the inside out.

Kamoshida.

"Kamoshida," Yang breathed, the word like a curse. Ann clenched her fists tight.

"I knew it," Ann muttered behind grit teeth again. Her hands were shaking, and her eyes were shining. But it wasn't despair that Yang saw. Instead, it was anger, wet and hot and boiling over, a heartbeat away from screaming.

And Yang-

Yang felt it, too.

Kamoshida had done something. She didn't even want to think about it. It made her sick to her very core, even the edges of the thought of it.

"Ann," Yang said. "Ann."

"That bastard... drove her to it," Ann took a step forward.

"I..." Yang paused for a moment.

She was right. Yang knew she was right. It was a gut feeling, raw and intense. The only person so blatantly depraved and powerful enough to get away with it in school was him. She felt her heart dismay. Who else knew about this? This couldn't have been an isolated conclusion that Yang and Ann came up with.

She felt a bitter taste in her mouth. How many people had he taken advantage of, left in silence? How many people had suffered? How many people _knew_?

"What are we going to do?" Yang asked. Ann furrowed her brows and pressed her lips together.

"We?"

"This school is a stinking sewer, and Kamoshida is the rat king of it. There are so many people who've suffered because of him," Yang said. She looked at Ann, and there was suddenly a connection they shared. Like an electric circuit being closed. Like an ember caught on a dry log. Like two bullets colliding in midair. "You. Me. Something has to be done."

Ann looked at Yang for a while. It was a silence that they shared, but there was a mutual understanding in it. It was for Shiho. It was for themselves. It was for injustice. It was to make some change in this terrible school.

"Ryuji Sakamoto, Ruby Rose, and the new transfer student, Akira Kurusu," Ann said, listing off on her fingers. Yang blanched. What did her little sister and her misfit friends have to do with this? "They know something."

"They do?" Yang asked. Ann nodded.

"I overheard them talking about doing something to Kamoshida, they brushed me off, but I know they know something," Ann said. Yang crossed her arms.

What had Ruby been getting herself into?

"I could squeeze the info out of her," Yang said. Ann blinked.

"Out of Ruby Rose?" she scratched at the side of her temple. "How?"

Yang quirked her brow. "Out of my baby sister? I'm sure I'll manage," Yang said cooly. Ann's brows shot up.

"You guys are sisters?" her mouth formed a little 'o' shape. "I don't know why I never knew that."

"It's cool. We don't exactly look related," Yang said, shrugging. Ann smacked her head. Then, she crossed her arms as she thought about it more. Finally, Ann shook her head.

"No. We'll tail 'em first. Build up a case on our own before raising their suspicions with any questions," she said.

She raised an excellent point. She could spook them if she started asking questions.

"Alright. Then it's on," Yang said. "We'll start tomorrow?"

Ann released a huge exhale. Like she had been holding her breath in this whole time or something. She slumped against the wall. "Okay," she said, her voice losing all the hard edges it had before. She looked younger then, somehow. Yang bit her lip.

"Hey. Let's get you home," Yang strode over to Ann and quirked her head off in the direction of the school gates. Ann pursed her lips and nodded.

"Can't imagine it's been an easy day for you," Yang said as they exited the school, walking towards the train station. Ann didn't respond. Yang tugged at straps of her bag, biting her lip. "Here, let's exchange contact info," Yang said. Ann nodded, pulling her phone out. They exchanged info, and Yang stared at her name on her phone for a little bit.

"Get home, try to get some rest if you can," Yang said, pocketing her phone in her blazer. "And, if you ever need anything... I'm a great listener," Yang flashed her most charming smile.

"Thank you," Ann said, sincerity creeping through the edges of exhaustion.

They took the train back in silence.

When Yang got off an Yongen, she bid Ann a small goodbye and walked through the backstreets. It was strange, somehow the small, cramped alleyways seemed bigger now. She looked up at the clear blue sky and wondered how it was that this was the same sky that Shiho had seen. She wondered how the sky hadn't changed, out of respect or grief. Yang found that baffling. Something monumental had happened. How had the sky stayed the same shade of blue?

Maybe it had, somewhere up there. Yang didn't look much different to how she did at the start of the day either, but she knew something had changed. Her feet took her automatically to their house. She paused. Then she headed to Leblanc.

Sojiro was seated at one of the stools on the bar, reading his usual newspaper. He perked up at the sound of the bell tinkling as Yang entered. She put on a small smile, bowing. He stood up, giving her his usual smirk, hand on his hip.

"Welcome, you in the mood for some coffee?" he asked. Yang tilted her head.

"I'd like that, but I was actually hoping to talk to Akira, if that's okay," Yang said. "Is he around?"

Sojiro quirked his brow, crossing his arms. "Oh? He just got back a while ago, I'll go get him," he said. He retreated past the bathroom of the shop, heading up the stairs. Yang took a seat in one of the booths placing her bag on the table. She leaned back in her seat and tried her best to look natural.

Akira came down with Sojiro, hands in his pockets. His hair was as shaggy as ever and his demeanour still cool. Sojiro left them to it as he went behind the counter to start preparing Yang's usual order.

Akira walked over to Yang's booth and took a seat opposite her, leaning his elbows on the table. Yang gave him a smile to ease him a little.

"Sorry, I- I just needed to talk to someone for a while," Yang said. Technically not a lie. It was just that someone she needed to talk to was him. "Do you mind?"

His face remained impassive as he stared at her and nodded. Yang shifted in her seat and steepled her fingers together, leaning forward. She shook her head.

"It's just what happened today..." Yang sighed, shifting her gaze downward. "I didn't... I didn't want to talk to Ruby about it. She's my sister. You've met her before, right?"

"Yeah," Akira said. "I get it."

"I'm supposed to be the strong older sister, y'know? But I saw Shiho... try to kill herself. And I don't feel really strong right now," Yang leaned back again, sighing. She stared at Akira. "Did you know her?" she asked. Akira shook his head.

"She bumped into me once, and she apologized a lot. She told me to ignore all the people talking about me at school," Akira said, his guard loosening. He smirked, a little sardonic. "Probably one of the only people in school to ever treat me decently."

Yang huffed a little laugh. "Yeah, it probably hasn't been easy for you here, huh? Shujin's pretty shitty. I'm sorry you're going through all that. I know what it's like to have people talk about you behind your back."

Akira nodded his thanks. Sojiro placed Yang's coffee on the table. He retreated immediate, ever tactful. Yang raised her cup in thanks. He grunted and opened his newspaper behind the counter. Yang blew on it a bit and took a sip.

"Doesn't fix anything, but it's damned good coffee," Yang smiled ruefully. Akira stayed silent. But that was okay. She got the answer she was looking for anyway.

Akira was alright. He didn't seem like an angry person. He didn't seem like a bad person. He just seemed like someone trying to do things right. Trying to do right. That would fit right in with who Ruby was. She understood now why they were spending so much time together. Maybe not specifically why they were after Kamoshida yet, but the why and how if it didn't matter so much right then.

"Did you know Shiho?" Akira asked. Yang drummed her fingers on the table at the question.

"Yeah," she answered after a small pause. "Same way as you did. She bumped into me a couple days ago. She seemed... troubled. So I tried to reach out to her. Too slow, and not the feeling I guess."

"Too much and not the mood," Akira said quietly. Yang smiled.

"You've read Sylvia Plath," she noted. He shrugged, the barest hint of a tug at his lips.

"Here and there," he said. His face fell then. Yang cringed too as she realized. Maybe not the most appropriate figure to be talking about in relation to Shiho. She took a sip of her coffee.

"I think... I was the last person to have a conversation with her," Yang said then. "I got her some food, and we were talking about volleyball. She said it was the only thing she knew. I wanted her to know that there was so much else she could try, if she would only give it a shot, y'know?"

Akira stayed still and silent for a moment. "Then what happened?"

Yang chewed on her bottom lip. "Then she was called to Kamoshida's office."

Akira's hands retreated underneath the table. "And then today she tried to take her own life."

Yang's stomach churned. She stayed silent, the heavy implications of what he was saying hung in the air. She knew, obviously. But he couldn't know that yet.

"I'm sorry," Akira said then. His hands came back to rest, palm down on the table. "Didn't mean to bring it down."

"It's okay. I'm glad we talked anyway." Yang took another mouthful of her coffee. She was barely done with it, but hell, she didn't really feel like drinking it right then. She moved to take her wallet out of her bag.

"No need for that," Sojiro interjected, flipping his newspaper down. He looked at Yang with sympathy. "It's on the house."

Yang smiled, keeping her wallet. She wasn't one to turn down a free coffee. Even if it wasn't half done. "Thank you, boss."

She stood up, and looked to Akira. "Thanks again. I'll see you around."

Akira nodded mutely. Yang bid her farewell to Sojiro and headed home. She didn't talk to Ruby. Yang walked into her room and locked her door. She flopped onto the bed, and finally alone, she let her tears flow.


	10. Into The Castle, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team settle on some code names, beat up some shadows, and save some damsels in distress.

**4/16 - Saturday After School**

They went to the meta-verse, and here was the scary part:

Ruby felt comfortable here. She felt right at home as she touched the blood-red mask atop her face. She closed her eyes and felt Crescent Rose in her heart, and she felt more at ease than she had in a while. She didn't feel the ground shift under her feet, didn't feel anything more than a change in the breeze. Something in the air.

It was a strange feeling, because even though they were transported into a literal new reality, where the laws of space and physics were told to take a hike, where everything was only as real as you thought it was, nothing felt different from real life.

Yeah, sure, she could wield a scythe like the literal grim reaper, and summon a ghostly persona, but it all felt natural. Like she could do it in real life, too.

Ruby opened her eyes, saw the visage of the castle bearing over them, the rust-red sky overhead, the subtle shimmer of some energy, cascading like waves over the silhouette of palace. Real, not real. Cognitive, physical. All just terms. Everything boiled down to the ground under her feet, the mask on her face, the presence in her heart.

"Back here again," Akira said. He had his other garb on, as did Ryuji. Morgana morphed back into his other form, looking relieved as he looked over his body. Ryuji pulled out his gun, examining it like a shiny new toy, smiling like a kid on Christmas.

Ryuji had gone on a little field trip with Akira yesterday, to a seedy little shop in the corner of the main street on Shibuya. He had explained his plan to Morgana- a surprisingly insightful one, even the cat had to begrudgingly agree. Ruby only caught the full story after the fact, updated via their group text.

He and Akira had spent their money on convincing looking model weapons. A brow raising statement, to be sure. But they had explained it to Ruby.

Since the cognitive world worked on people's perceptions, then they could technically use a model gun that looked real enough to, well, fire. As long as the other person believed it was a real gun that could fire bullets, then it could. It made Ruby's head spin, but Morgana had sanctioned all of it. With his word, Ruby was a little more assured. They had brought and hidden their weapons in the alleyway before school. Didn't need more trouble by getting caught with a gun, model or not, in school.

Akira had gotten a simple pistol. Ryuji had gone for a shotgun. They passed a sniper rifle over to Ruby. It was kind of big, but they had run out of funds and this model gun was on sale, so.

Hey, Ruby wasn't complaining. She pulled the gun off her back, looking through its scope. She hoped it worked. Akira slid his weapon into his coat after giving it a cursory glance.

"Alright, I hope you're all ready. Our infiltration begins now," Morgana said, hands (paws? he had opposable thumbs, Ruby supposed) on his hips. "From here on out, we're going to need code names."

"Code names?" Ruby asked. Morgana nodded.

"We're basically running around in Kamoshida's head, his cognition. Even if its subconscious and he'll never know what happened, you guys probably shouldn't be going around using your real names," he explained. Ruby nodded. Made sense.

"Code names, huh?" Ryuji rubbed at his chin. "What do you guys think?"

"Sounds like it'd be cool," Ruby placed her hands behind her back, shrugging. "What should my code name be?"

The rest of the group looked at her, contemplating. Ruby felt a little uncomfortable under their gaze. She adjusted her skirt and sleeves. She was wearing a corset for crying out loud. She could do with a little less male gaze.

"Red Riding Hood," Ryuji said. Akira and Morgana looked at him, tilting their heads. He shrugged. "She's got a red hood," he pointed out. Ruby reached behind her to tug it atop her head. It was pretty cool.

"Hm, but that's way too long," Morgana said.

"How about just Red?" Akira suggested. Ruby pursed her lips in thought.

"Red," she echoed, feeling the word out in her mouth. It fit, and it was pretty short and cool for a code name. She'd take it. "Red works."

"Alright, do me next!" Ryuji said enthusiastically. Ruby crossed her arms.

"Skull," Akira said. Ruby didn't even hesitate for a second before nodding. That was an easy one. The metal skull on Ryuji's face shone and gleamed even in the fading light.

"That works," Morgana said. Ryuji reached up to touch his mask, then seamlessly turned the motion into a fist pump. Ruby giggled. Never change, Ryuji.

"Hell yeah, that sounds badass!" Ryuji exclaimed. "Okay, okay, what about this guy?"

Ruby pondered for a moment. She looked over Akira's clothes, his mask. He looked every bit the gentleman, and every bit the scoundrel. Akira stared back at her, his face impassive underneath his mask.

 _Wild Card_.

The word flashed across her mind, like a beam of light cutting through a dark night sky. At first Ruby thought it was Crescent Rose speaking to her, but that voice didn't sound like the Persona in her heart. That voice was comforting, it was intimately familiar. This voice sounded more... invasive. It came from outside her heart, of that she was certain.

_Trickster._

If she wasn't mistaken it almost sounded like... Igor. His small, reserved smile popped up in her head. The idea of mistakes, the suggestion of ruin, the need to save the world. Her heart tugged in a million different directions, all of it lead to the same spot. She clenched and unclenched her fist. Okay, Igor. Wild Card.

"Joker," Ruby said. Morgana and Ryuji looked at her, confused. She met Akira's even gaze.

Ryuji scratched his head. "Uh... where do you figure that from?"

Ruby looked at him, shrugged with an easy smile. "He's a wild card," she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Morgana made an inquisitive sound in the back of his throat. "Wild card, huh?"

"It fits," Ryuji examined Akira more thoroughly, rubbing his chin and walking around him to properly appraise him. Akira quirked a brow.

"What are your thoughts?" Morgana asked him.

Akira was silent for a while. He met Ruby's eye. "Sounds good."

And like that, it was like a lock had clicked into place. A small rush of dread and excitement filled her in equal measures. Unexplainable, but she brushed it aside.

"Well I guess we gotta be fair and give Morgana a code name too," Ryuji said. "Even if... you know. He's not a real person in the real world."

Morgana sighed. "Yeah, I guess."

"Mm, how about Mona? Short and sweet," Ryuji suggested.

"Works for me," Morgana said. "Alright, lets not waste any more time. Our infiltration begins now!"

They all shared a look, and a nod of affirmation. Right here, right now. This was happening.

And they set off.

* * *

The first setback came in the form of a particularly brutal shadow.

The knight had transformed into a ghost horse.

(Ruby was a little fuzzy with how Morgana explained the forms that these shadows took. They were cognitions of certain figures in the public consciousness? Or something. It didn't much matter.)

He flung Ruby and Ryuji on their asses.

Painfully. That gust of wind was sharp and hit like a punch to the gut. Ruby coughed and wheezed as she struggled to get back up, disoriented for a bit. Ryuji seemed like he wasn't faring much better, from the sound of his groans.

The ghost horse advanced up on them. Ruby, on her hands and knees, heard all the alarm bells in her head go off as she saw it rear back and prepare to blast another powerful gust of wind.

Then a sharp click sounded, and the horse stopped as Akira appeared at his side, silent save for the cock of his gun against the horse's head. He was frozen in his tracks, growling at Akira.

"So, you gonna kill me now?" the horse asked. Akira- no, Joker- smiled that sinister, suave smile of his.

"I don't have to, if you agree to join me," he said cooly. Joker took a step back, gun still trained on the shadow. Ruby recovered enough to stand up, but stayed silent as she watched the scene play out. What was Akira talking about? Join them? She wasn't sure she wanted it with them.

"Rrgh," the horse sounded out, turning to face Akira. They were silent for a moment. "Fine," he said, breaking their stand off. The horse closed his eyes.

"I am thou, thou art I," he muttered, then disappeared in a flash of light. Joker's masked shined an unnatural glow for a second, then returned to normal. Ruby was dumbstruck. She finally gathered her wits about her.

"What the hell was that?" Ruby gasped out. Joker twirled his gun, keeping it back in his coat, along with his knife.

"You just... captured a new Persona!" Morgana gaped at him. Ryuji rolled his shoulder, groaning in pain.

"You what? You can do that?" he asked. Akira just gave a shrug in response.

"I guess I can," he touched his mask. He shrugged again, hands back in his pockets. Ryuji slapped a hand to his head.

"Anyone else have any crazy powers they want to get out of the way before we continue?" he looked to Ruby. Ruby frowned and looked at her arms, down at her clothing.

"Uh... Shazam!" she exclaimed, looking up, waiting for the lightning. Ruby smiled and shrugged. "Guess not."

"Veeery funny," Ryuji rolled his eyes, even though his lips were turned up in a small grin of his own.

"So, that means you can summon that... horse? Ghost?" Ruby asked Akira. He nodded, offering no more explanation than that. Ruby quirked her brow. "Okay. Can't wait."

"I wonder why he's able to do that..." Morgana muttered, almost to himself. He shook his head after a moment. "Doesn't matter. Let's just continue on."

And carry on they did.

They had thoroughly explored the lower floors of the castle already, getting a pretty good layout of the place. Now they were on their way around to the other wings, climbing stairs and towers. It was a confusing place, with strange mechanisms to keep things in order. Like, why were so many of the switches Kamoshida's face? Why did they have to reach into his mouth and pull down his jaw to lower a bridge? This was Kamoshida's subconscious, and just as a gut feeling, without having any frame of reference of anybody else's subconscious, Ruby could say that this was the weirdest damn subconscious anyone had ever had.

They snuck past or ambushed any enemies in their path, making short work of the weaker ones and finding their footing as a team with the stronger ones. Joker was proving to be an effective, capable leader. He directed their movements and actions with decisiveness. His own movements were fluid and graceful. Joker dove, slashed, and summoned his Persona to attack in smooth motions. Ruby had to wonder where this all came from in the real life.

Though she supposed her expert scythe wielding didn't have much basis in reality either.

They progressed relatively smoothly, all things considered. They took breaks in these places Morgana called safe rooms, places where the palace ruler's cognition didn't hold as much dominion in the real world, no surprise, Kamoshida felt like he didn't rule over the classrooms. Ruby was interested in the intersections between reality and perception. It seemed so fascinating, she was almost rueful to have to continue on slashing and killing and running.

"We're doing great, huh?" Ryuji said after one particularly easy encounter. Morgana scoffed at him. Ryuji put his hands on his hips. "C'mon! For a bunch of amateurs, we're doing alright. Tell him, Red," Ryuji nudged Ruby's arm with his elbow.

"I don't want to jinx it, but yeah. I think we're doing alright," Ruby admitted.

"Beginner's luck," Morgana told them, turning his nose up at the pair. "Don't get cocky."

Ruby crossed her arms, cocking a hip. "Hey-"

Joker put up a hand to silence them. "Do you guys hear that?" he asked quietly. They all fell silent and strained their ears.

And there it was, faint screaming.

Except not the usual kind. It wasn't a scream of agony, or pain, from one of theose cognitive versions of the volleyball students that echoed out from the dungeons. It was faint but it sounded like it was getting louder. Somewhere below them?

"-emme go! I swear to God I'm going to-"

The voice drowned and faded away amongst other screams that sounded out then. It sounded like someone was getting captured? And the voice was vaguely familiar, in a way that Ruby couldn't quite place. Joker adjusted his red gloves.

"Follow me," he said, taking off in the direction of the stairs leading down. The group didn't hesitate, trusting Joker.

They snuck past patrols, rushing their way towards the source of the noise. Finally, the found a long hallway leading to a large set of double doors, where the shouting and protesting was at its clearest.

"Who are you guys? What the hell is going on here!" the voice, though muffled, was unmistakable. Ruby's eyes widened under her mask.

No way. This was some weird cognition, right? No way. Ruby rushed past Joker, bursting into the room with a mighty crash. She had to see for herself. She had to know.

She got her answer.

Yang Xiao Long and Ann Takamaki, bound with cuffs up against a wall, their limbs all spread eagle.

Their eyes widened as the rest of the group followed her into the room. A group of knights were crowded around the two girls, as was the bastard himself, Kamoshida.

"What the hell?" Yang struggled against her bonds. The knights and Kamoshida all turned to face their new intruders.

"You all again!" he exclaimed.

"Morgana, this... this isn't a cognition of them right?" Ruby asked, her eyes still trained on her sister and schoolmate being held captive. Morgana made a little confused noise in the back of his throat.

"I don't know if I should hope so or not," he muttered. Ruby clenched her fist.

Oh, that sick son of a bitch.

She began to take notice of the room. Pictures and portraits of both Ann and Yang adorned almost every wall, as did disgusting statues of women's figures, all dressed in Shujin PE uniforms. Kamoshida looked at the group, sneering.

Every time Ruby thought she had hit rock bottom with the lengths of his depravity, Kamoshida seemed to find a way to go even lower.

"You bugs are always showing up to ruin my day, aren't you?" he walked towards them, though kept his knights between him and the group.

"Why don'tcha come closer and say that to my face," Ryuji beckoned to Kamoshida. He scoffed.

"I am a king, you dipshit. I don't have to lift a finger to do anything," he said.

"Somebody want to explain what's going on here?" Ann shouted, frustration lacing through her voice.

"This is getting super weird, and I'm going to kick everybody's ass if somebody doesn't uncuff me!" Yang added.

No way these were Kamoshida's cognitions. That only meant...

As if on cue, the cognitive versions of Ann and Yang, in all their disgusting giggling and fawning over Kamoshida glory emerged from a side room. They surrounded Kamoshida, hands roaming under places Ruby truly did not want to see.

"Ohmigooossshh Kamoshida, how long are you going to take?" the fake Ann whined. "We miss you!"

"Wait, _what?!_ " the real Ann shrieked.

"You're, like, taking sooooooo long," the fake Yang giggled. "We can't wait for so long!"

"Oh my god, what the fuck is this," Yang just gasped.

Yep.

"Question answered I guess," Ruby grumbled. Now they had a whole set of new problems. Ruby slipped the mask off her face.

"Ruby?!" Yang exclaimed. "Ruby, what the hell is all this?"

Ruby looked to Akira. He nodded. "This is Kamoshida's distorted heart," she answered simply, feeling herself growing more insane by the second. She sighed again.

How did the two of them end up here anyway?


	11. Into The Castle, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The damsels, in fact, do not need any saving.

**4/16 - Saturday After School**

Yang liked to think she was pretty unflappable. But right now, she was pretty damned flappable. First, she and Ann had found a weird app on their phones. They had clicked on it as they met up in school, both unable to locate Ruby, Akira or Ryuji.

They clicked on the app, and woosh, they weren't in school anymore.

They found themselves...

Yeah, no Yang didn't have a clue where they were. They were somewhere. Stone walls. Torches. Weird carpet on the floor.

Then a couple of scary buff knights came in and captured them. They sounded weird. Everything looked weird. It was all so, so, so strange. Yang didn't have the first clue what was happening.

They put her and Ann in chains, and then Kamoshida came in.

Except he was wearing a stupid weird cloak, a dumb ass crown, and had glowy yellow eyes. He watched them with contempt and anger, never once saying a word, though he did have lots of angry growls and stuff like that.

It was something out of a bizarro horror movie, and Yang honestly had had it.

Then a bunch of people in funky outfits and mask (and a weird cat?) bust in, and then gross versions of herself and Ann joined the party, and one of those funkily dressed people was Ruby.

So, yes. Flappable. Very decidedly so.

"This is Kamoshida's distorted heart," Ruby had said, like that made any sort of sense at all. Yang wanted very much to destroy something. To destroy a lot of things. She had _so. Many. Questions._

"What does that even mean?" Ann asked, the frustration and fear that Yang felt lacing in her voice exactly. See. She got it.

"Shut the fuck up," Kamoshida interrupted. He bound over to Ann and delivered a slap to her face.

Oh, hell no.

"I'm going to kill you, I swear to God I'm going to kill you, you bastard!" Yang shouted at him. He just looked at her like she was worth no more than the dirt beneath his feet. Ann reeled back, gasping. Hot tears were starting to well up in her eyes.

"Hey!" Ruby's shout cut through the air. "You coward!"

"All of you, kicking and screaming like your actually means anything," Kamoshida sneered, turning back to the other group. "How many times do I have to explain? I'm the king of Shujin. I can do whatever I want, and none of you have any right to tell me otherwise."

Yang's guts twisted, feeling sickened by the display in front of her. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

"Shiho..." Ann sobbed out, the cry almost involuntary. Yang turned to look at her. Her head hung low, her chin jutting against the chest. Yang struggled against her bonds.

Kamoshida turned back to Ann. The fake (clones? What the hell were they?) versions of her and Yang crowded around him once again. Yang felt herself burn at the sight.

"She deserved it," Kamoshida said, his voice low. "You know that? And you know what? It was your fault, too."

"Shut up!" Yang said. Ann had started full on sobbing, her choked cries echoing even in the crowd of people in the room. Kamoshida turned to Yang then.

"And you, this is your punishment, for not following along when I asked you to. Did you think you could run away from me forever? Hell, you were lucky Ann came into school when she did, you know? I like my girls slender," he licked his lips, his rancid breath and horrid voice overwhelming Yang. She felt like she did back in her first year. She felt 15 again, she felt his eyes on her during PE. She remembered his advances, his hands on her, the crawling feeling up her spine.

Yang felt despair.

"Don't let him get to you!" Ruby shouted. Kamoshida flickered a hand towards his knights, and they all advanced on the group, their weapons raised.

"Now you're going to watch your friends die," Kamoshida said. "Just like you watched Shiho die."

Kamoshida left her field of view, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene before her. They were fighting the group of knights, but every one of them was clearly overwhelmed. She couldn't even wrap her mind around what she was seeing. Blue flames, monsters, black ooze. But she recognized a hopeless fight when she saw one.

"Ann," Yang said, her voice barely more than a whisper. Ann didn't respond. Yang struggled limply against her cuffs, wanting nothing more than to cradle Ann's face in her hands. Wanting to not have failed her, not have failed Shiho. "Ann," Yang called out again, more insistent.

"What are we doing? What is all this? Is this what Shiho jumped for? Is this what she saw?" Ann shook her head, her sobs and hiccoughs rippling through her body, shaking.

"Ann we have to get out of here," Yang said. Fear gripped her heart, but Yang couldn't stop her body from fighting against her bonds, fighting against her despair.

She looked back at the fight, and saw Ruby take a harsh blow, knocking her back and into a wall.

Anger lanced through her, quick and bright as a lightning strike.

Yang started struggling harder.

"Ann!" Yang shouted. "Ann! Ann!"

"Yang, what are we going to do?" Ann sobbed.

One of the group, the one with shaggy black hair that Yang assumed was Akira, dodged a blast of fire thrown at him, then looked at Yang and Ann.

"Don't let them win, Ann! Don't let Shiho's struggle been for nothing!" he shouted. That got her attention. Ann's head snapped up, staring at Akira. Behind his mask, his grey eyes were steel.

Yang's attention was ripped back to Ruby, who only narrowly dodged another hit, stumbling wildly. She ripped off her mask and shouted, summoning some sort of monster. She didn't have time to dodge another blow, knocking her back again.

Not another second.

Yang put all of her strength into her arms.

Kamoshida wouldn't win. Not again. Not with Shiho, and not with Ruby. Yang wouldn't have it.

"Shiho wouldn't be sitting here," Yang groaned as she exerted all her effort. "She wouldn't take all of this sitting down. I didn't know her long, but I knew her enough to tell you that Ann."

Yang screamed, her face turning red from exertion.

"My little sister needs my help, Ann. Fight! Fight it!"

Then it started. Yang felt like her head was about to explode. The pain was unbearable.

_You burn._

She screamed, agony ripping through every cell of her body, through every fibre of her being.

_You hurt. And you protect. That is who you are. Who I am._

Yang fell limp, the pain still rocked through her. The voice seared its words like brand into her mind.

_Who will protect her if you don't? The shadows loom ever larger, their forces ever stronger. You have to burn bright as the sun. You will have to be the light, the shield, the fire._

"Get away from her!" Yang bellowed, the mask appearing in a flash on her face. With a sudden unholy burst of strength, Yang broke through the metal cuffs on her wrists. She grabbed hold of her mask, tearing it off in one motion. She felt every bit of the pain, every inch as her skin tore off. She didn't stop.

_I am thou, thou art I. Awaken, and burn them down to ash!_

The burst of heat that came from her was exhilarating. Yang felt it wash over her, refreshing her body, bringing forth a burst of energy. From behind her, Yang felt a familiar presence. Like somebody she had been missing all her life had returned to her. Like she had someone inside her to lean on, to never let go.

A woman on fire.

"Ember Celica, light 'em up!" Yang pointed at a knight, who turned around in surprise just fast enough to catch a fireball to the chest, incinerating it to dust where it stood.

From beside her, she heard, clearer than anything.

"Burn them down, Carmen!"

Yang hazarded a glance to her right, the smile on her face there even before she saw it. She already knew.

Ann was dressed in different clothes. A red cat suit, with a whip in her hand. Behind her, in blue flames, was a similar kind of monster. A woman holding two men on a leash. Like Ann, she didn't seem like she took any shit from anybody.

Yang rushed forward, a punch reared up. She ducked under a slash from a knight, then delivered a brutal uppercut, more powerful than she could have possibly conceived. It knocked him flat, leaving him open for a scythe to come down and slice him across the chest, dissipating him.

"Yang! You did it!" Ruby said, resting her scythe on her shoulder. Woah. When did her little sister become the grim reaper?

"I don't know what 'it' is, but the fight isn't over yet," Yang said, looking around and prompting Ember Celica to throw another ball of flame at a monster that was about to bear down on Akira. A twin fireball came from beside her, striking the knight closest to the blonde guy. (Ryuji, probably, right? Yang mentally cataloged that information as she dove into the fray.)

The fight ended quick after that, Kamoshida had fled the scene quickly after Yang and Ann got their awesome new powers. As the last knight fell, the room quickly fell silent, save for the laboured breaths of both Ann and Yang.

"Damn," Ryuji whistled in appreciation. He removed his mask, pushing some hair from his forehead. "I mean... damn."

"You said it," Akira said, twirling the knife in his hands before keeping it in his jacket.

"So. Many. Questions," Ruby sighed, resting her mask atop her head.

Yang turned to Ann. She didn't hesitate before crushing her in a bear hug. She didn't care how much Ann protested. She deserved it, and Yang wanted to hug her dammit.

"Okay, okay, lemme go already," she heard Ann laugh (laugh! It sounded like bubbles and cherries and fires, she was so happy).

"You were a bonafide badass out there!" Yang said. She took stock of Ann's figure. She had no idea why she was wearing a cat suit, or why her mask was in the shape of cat. Generally cat themed. Yang frowned, then took stock of her own appearance.

She was wearing a brown bomber jacket, zipped up. She had some coat tails that extended all the way down, as well as some sturdy boots, with a purple scarf tied above one. She had an orange one tied around her neck too. She examined her gloved hands. She felt the power in her fists. Exciting and confusing in equal measures.

"God, what am I wearing?" Ann examined her clothes, shaking her head. Yang turned to the other group.

"Time for some explanations, yeah?" Yang said. Ruby turned to Akira.

"Yeah, let's regroup and we can all lay our cards on the table," the monster cat said. Yang jumped back in surprise, readying her fists. Did they miss one?

Ruby held up her hands to stop Yang.

"Wait, wait, wait, he's a friend!" she exclaimed, placing herself between Yang and the thing. It looked frightened.

"Man, this day is turning out so weird," Ann buried her face in her hands.

Yang sighed, lowering her hands. That was one way to put it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P4G came out on steam so... updates miiigght be a little slower now. But a big thanks to everyone who's been enjoying this story, niche as it is.


	12. There and Back Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves regroup and reinfiltrate.

**4/16 - Saturday Evening**

They explained everything. It took a while.

Yang and Ann sat silent. They were all in the cafe in Shibuya that Akira and Ruby had taken Ann to when they first met. The crowds around them milled about and talked, providing enough background noise to drown out their conversation to anybody listening in.

Ruby took a sip of her hot chocolate. She felt tired. She couldn't imagine how Yang and Ann felt.

They had a lot of bombs dropped on them today. She couldn't believe it had just been a day since Shiho had jumped. The hours and minutes seemed to tick by slowly, and yet all at once.

"So, we can change Kamoshida's heart?" Ann said, her hands around her own drink. "Just like that? He'll be a different person?"

Morgana- head popped out of Akira's bag- nodded once.

"If we do it right, he won't have these distorted desires anymore. All that cruelty will be gone," Morgana said.

"To be replaced with what?" Yang asked.

Morgana paused, considering his words. "With everything else. Compassion. Regret. Sorrow."

Yang looked at Ann, her brow furrowed. She pursed her lips, then looked back at her drink.

"This is... a lot," Yang said, brushing a thumb over her knuckles.

"It is," Akira said simply. Ryuji- crowded into the corner of the booth to fit him, Akira and Ruby into one side- huffed a laugh.

"Understatement, much?" he asked sardonically. Akira gave a little half shrug. Ryuji turned to the girls.

"Well, like it or not, you two are involved now," Ryuji said. He looked to Ann, trying to catch her eye. "Sorry for... you know."

Ann smiled a little, a small half-grin that seemed only for Ryuji. "You were just trying to do what you thought was right," she said quietly. She took a sip of her drink.

"So, with all that said... What do you two want to do?" Ruby asked. Yang and Ann looked at each other, their expressions unsure.

"It's not a decision to be made lightly. We've explained the risks," Morgana said. "The world is made from cognition, but the consequences are real."

The group was silent for a while.

"Why are you guys doing this?" Ann asked. The question seemed to surprise even her. She blinked, and leaned further against her seat. "Why do you guys care?" she continued, riding her own momentum.

"You're kidding me, right?" Ryuji asked, leaning forward to place an arm on the table. His brows furrowed and his frown deepened. "You know what that piece of shit did to me."

"You could move on, you know," Yang said. She knew full well the story of what happened with the track team. Her gaze was laser focused on Ryuji.

"Is it all about revenge?" Ann asked. Ryuji paused, then shook his head.

"Shouldn't it be?" Ryuji challenged. He scoffed. "He broke my leg and destroyed my future. Why shouldn't I get some revenge?"

"You remove one hateful act with another," Yang said. "The hate doesn't go away."

"Yeah, well," Ryuji sighed.

"It's not just about revenge," Ruby said.

"No, it isn't. Kamoshida destroyed... everything for me," Ryuji said. His tone was mournful, his expression muted. "But that was a whole year ago. Got me branded a traitor and a delinquent, but I've been living with that for a while now. Now, he's going around abusing other people. These two have been hurt by him too. Ruby was on the track team, same as me. This guy's record was leaked by Kamoshida. And we all know what he did to Shiho. I can't let that slide. Not when we have the power to change things."

Yang considered his answer. Ann pursed her lips. She looked to Akira and Ruby. "Do you two feel the same way?" Ann asked.

"I was on the track team too. I wasn't affected as badly as the others, but... I can't look away. Especially not after Shiho. And who knows how many other people he's treated just as badly, if not worse. I can't sit and watch it happen either," Ruby said. She interlocked her fingers together as she talked. Ann watched her curiously.

Yang looked at Akira. "And what about you?"

Akira adjusted his glasses. "I was arrested for stopping a drunk man from assaulting a woman on the street. I didn't touch him, but he hurt himself and called the cops on me, got the woman to falsify a testimony, too. That's the reason why I'm here. A year in Shujin, and I get to go back home. I mess it up, I get thrown back into juvie," he shifted in his seat, bringing his hands under the table. "Kamoshida's made my life harder at school, sure. But I could never sit by and watch someone get away with hurting somebody else."

The group fell silent once again. Ryuji sighed, violently smacking himself into the back of the booth, thumping against the cushioning. "It's bullshit. It's all bullshit. This world's full of shitty adults who think they can get away with doing evil things. Well, not this time."

"So you've heard our side," Ruby said. She lay her palms flat on the table. "What about you two?"

"Will you help us?" Akira asked.

Yang looked at Ruby for a moment, then smiled wide. "Of course," she said, simple as all that.

"It was never in question, really," Ann said, smiling. "Just needed to know why you guys wanted to do it."

"So, we're all in agreement, then?" Morgana asked.

"Long as you are, kitty cat," Yang flashed a winning smile. Morgana frowned.

"So we're all on board with the plan," Morgana said. "We only have a limited amount of time."

"Yeah, uh. Kamoshida's going to expel us," Ruby said, smiling sheepishly. Yang's eyes widened.

"What?!"

"Yep," Ryuji said, popping the 'p'.

"We kind of ran to his office to confront him yesterday, after we saw what Shiho did because of him," Akira explained. "Long story short, we have," he checked his phone. "Twenty days until our expulsion. That's when he's going to bring it up at the next board meeting."

"Having a time limit on this makes it feel way more pressured!" Ann said. "Can we do this in time?"

Morgana grinned. "Don't you worry, Lady Ann. Under my guidance, we'll get this done in no time!"

Ann chuckled nervously. "Uh... yeah, sure! Thanks, Morgana."

Akira turned to Ryuji. "Sounds like another trip to the shop," he said.

Ryuji groaned. "Guess I'm packing lunch for the next couple weeks," he sighed.

"We got this," Ruby affirmed.

So the party was formed, and the plan was on. For real this time.

* * *

**4/18 - Monday Morning**

They had all taken the Sunday off, as a much needed break to rest and prepare for the task that lay before them. Ruby had gone through her homework and just played video games. Yang had tutted at her as she got back from her run in the evening.

("Well, it's not like we have powers that we can train in the real world!" Ruby had protested through the chips in her mouth, dying to Sephiroth for the seventh time this session. Yang put her hand on her hips.

"We can train our physical bodies, at least, right?" she grew a little bit more quiet even as she protested. "Is that how the meta-verse works?"

Ruby frowned, then shrugged. "Beats me," she said.)

When Ruby got to school on Monday, Yang in tow, she felt her nerves start to jitter. They just had to make it through the school day, and then Kamoshida's palace was their next destination.

Weiss cornered Ruby as soon as she climbed the staircase up the classroom block, separating from her sister.

"Ruby," she said, her voice breathy and it made Ruby's heart jump a little funny. Ruby smiled at her. "Do you want to have lunch after school today? I'm still waiting on that raincheck, you know."

Ruby's face fell almost immediately. She bit her lip and ground her toes into the floor. Right. Damn it.

"Sorry, Weiss. I can't today," Ruby said lamely.

Weiss eyed Ruby. She shifted nervously under that look.

"What have you been up to, Ruby Rose?" Weiss asked, hands on her hips. Ruby carded a hand through her hair, trying her best to keep her expression as neutral as possible.

"Nothing! Nothing, I just... you know. Got some stuff to take care of," Ruby said.

Weiss frowned. Okay, yeah so maybe Ruby had been a little icy for a few days. She hadn't really cut Weiss off, just been a little bit more preoccupied than she usually was. They had texted a bit, talked a bit in school, but well, Ruby had a giant castle she needed to infiltrate. Weiss had taken a bit of back seat.

"What kind of stuff?" Weiss asked. Her hands fell then. "If you don't want to hang out, you could just tell me, you know."

Ruby rushed forward and took a hand in her own. Weiss jumped a little at the contact. Ruby didn't let go. The statement had seated some form of intense panic in her, one that she didn't know what to do with. She just wanted it gone. She needed Weiss to know.

"Hey," she said softly, trying her best to let as much emotion flow through her without having to say anything. Weiss was, to put it lightly, one of the most important people to Ruby. It wasn't something either of them could comfortably express to each other, but it was something they both knew. "You..." she faltered, her tongue on the edge of a lie to her best friend.

How could she tell Weiss the truth? Weiss wouldn't believe her. Even if Ruby could convince her, she didn't want to. This was a whole mess. A mess that Weiss Schnee didn't need to be a part of. Ann and Yang had a stake in this. Akira and Ryuji too. This was worth it to all of them. This was something necessary. Ruby felt the same way. Weiss, for all the love Ruby held in her heart for the other girl, wouldn't understand it. Not in the way that the others did. Not in a way that she would condone what they were doing.

Ruby felt her heart twist itself into knots, like Crescent Rose had come out and blasted those black tendrils at her, entwining it around her and tugging down, down, down.

"I've just been a little... upset. About Shiho and I- I don't want to worry you. You're... my best friend, but I just wanted to be alone for a while," Ruby bit her lip. "Is that okay?"

Weiss closed her eyes, let out a little sigh, then gripped Ruby's hand tight.

Ruby felt her heart sink a million times over. She was the worst. She was the _worst_. How could she begin to call Weiss her friend? This was a new low, Ruby Rose.

"It's okay," Weiss said, in that gentle tone she seemed to only reserve for Ruby. "But I'm here, if you need me."

"I know," Ruby said, breathing a little shallow. God, she felt so scummy. "Thanks."

"Let's get to class," Weiss said, her hand slipping out of Ruby's, and damn it all if Ruby didn't bemoan that fact, that loss of momentary contact like wildfire in her mind that she desperately stamped out.

Weiss went into the classroom. Ruby took a moment to breathe. It was all for a good cause. She promised herself that.

* * *

**4/18 - Monday After School**

Here was the weird part:

Akira felt like the meta-verse was more an eventuality than anything.

In fact, when they ended up there and Morgana had explained everything, when he dreamt about Igor, when he saw the twin wardens and the blue cell door, even when nobody else did, Akira felt like it was meant to be. Sooner, or later, his life was leading up to this the whole time.

He thought back to the burst of courage that spurred him to confront the man that night. He thought about the visage of Arsene that he had seen when he first arrived in Tokyo. He thought about Ruby's eyes, a bright shade of silver, that had shone even brighter when the word 'Joker' escaped from her lips.

Igor had called him the Trickster. He had to be rehabilitated to prevent ruin. The rules were very clear, and there was no turning back.

God had some sick sense of humour, because ordinary Akira Kurusu wasn't some saviour. He wasn't the bees knees, he was just a normal person with normal knees. He wasn't the guy they wanted, really.

And yet, Akira felt every step he take lead further and further to that conclusion.

He looked at Ruby, who was tugging at the sleeves of her attire, a small smile on her face.

The smile fit her face, as did the clothes. It all made sense. It all made no sense. It all felt right to Akira. It was all a bunch of garbled nonsense, a mess of words and thoughts in his mind. He glanced over to where the door to the Velvet Room stood, Caroline standing guard against it, her gaze on him and her face impassive.

He tightened his gloves. He looked back at Ruby. She, like the rest of them, didn't see it. She didn't see the Velvet Room, Igor, or any of the weirdness he had quickly come to regard as the new normal.

Akira and her shared a connection. That much was clear. He could read her gaze like an open book. It was like her thoughts occupied half of his mind. It had to go beyond something normal, right? It had to be something related to Igor, to Persona, to the meta-verse or, or-

Or Akira was talking in circles, and he should be grateful for the genuine connection.

He didn't have many, after all. Not from back home, at least.

Akira regarded the rest of the party. Morgana had called them 'Phantom Thieves' once. He liked the name.

Ann looked a little uncomfortable in her clothes. A red latex bodysuit, molded to fit her every curve and then some. Akira tried not to let his gaze linger a little. Yang's was more modest, but they both somehow just fit. Akira felt it all stick together like little pieces on a large, large puzzle.

Speaking of changes coming into the meta-verse.

"Code names," he said, getting everybody's attention. Ruby caught on immediately, of course she did. She nodded.

"Right, we need code names for you guys," she explained.

Yang quirked a brow. "Are we some superheroes now?"

"Hell, you see the shit we can do? We might as well be," Ryuji grinned. Akira had to give him a point there. Despite it all, Akira felt slick and powerful in the meta-verse. Maybe he didn't have a cape on, but he had a mask, and he had powers.

"It's so we don't go running around Kamoshida's subconscious shouting our names out all willy-nilly," Morgana explained.

"Red, Skull, Mona," Akira pointed out. "Joker," he gestured towards himself.

"Hmm," Ruby tapped on her chin, examining the two girls. "Ann's got that tail, and that cat shaped mask," she said, making an inquisitive sound in the back of her throat.

"It's beautiful!" Morgana exclaimed. Akira looked at him, his brow quirked. Morgana just laughed sheepishly and withdrew a little bit.

"Cat-lady!" Ryuji said. Ann furrowed her brows.

"Absolutely not," she said.

"Cougar?" Ruby suggested.

"No!" both Ann and Yang shouted simultaneously.

Ryuji groaned. He looked to Akira. "What do you think?"

Akira shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Panther?" he suggested. Ann raised a hand in protest, and fell mid-way. She looked off into the distance as she considered his suggestion.

"Panther," she repeated, then nodded. "I guess that's pretty alright."

She was lying, it was damned good, and Akira was like two for two on name suggestions. He was on a roll.

"What about Yang?" Ryuji said. He examined her clothing and her mask. It was a bright golden yellow, outlined by a dark violet colour. It reminded Akira of Ruby's mask, just a little longer to cover the bridge of her nose.

"Gold," Ruby said. Damn. She was good with name suggestions too.

Yang took her mask off, examining it. She carded a hand through that long flowing mane of hers.

"Gold, huh?" Yang asked. "How do you figure?"

"It's like Pokemon!" Ruby said enthusiastically. Akira's face fell a little. Okay, he wasn't making that connection. But Yang smiled at her little sister. "I'm Red, and you're Gold," Ruby said.

"I'm going with it, because it's thematically appropriate for me, but I am protesting the Pokemon angle," Yang said, putting her mask back on. She ruffled Ruby's hair.

"It's okay, it'll be my little secret, and every time I say it, I want you to know it'll bring me joy," Ruby said. Yang shoved her lightly.

"Gold. We're going with Gold," she said. Akira nodded.

"Then let's begin our infiltration!" Morgana said once more, and they were off to the races.

* * *

Here was the good thing about having a second go about at the castle:

Akira was more prepared.

He had checked out Doctor Takemi's clinic, gotten some questionably legal (totally legal, the voice in his head that sounded like the young doctor said) medicine that would heal the party's wounds.

("Medicine doesn't work like that," Akira had told Morgana before he set off to the clinic. Morgana had scoffed at him.

"The basic of concept is medicine is: you take it and it makes you better. That's how people think about it, so that's how it'll work in the meta-verse," he had told him, muffled from inside Akira's bag.

"Sometimes I feel like we're just making stuff up as we go along," Akira said.

"Welcome to the meta-verse," Morgana said.)

They had gotten some weapons for the two new additions to their team. A sawed off shotgun for Yang, and an SMG for Ann.

Akira now tried to persuade as many shadows as he could to join him.

There was a routine now, a rhythm to these things.

They'd ambush a knight at Akira's signal, (which was usually him jumping atop a knight and ripping their masks off) fight the shadow that appeared, (learning more about their various weaknesses and strengths) and knock them down so Akira could talk to them to convince them to become a part of him.

Then the usual I am thou, yadda yadda.

And they would continue on, further and further into the castle. Trying to find where the treasure was hidden.

They started to feel the exhaustion catch up to them as soon as they found the library.

'Library', Akira noted with distaste. It was a couple of books in a couple of dusty old shelves, and a whole load of empty pages with fancy looking spines. Nobody ever claimed he was well read, but well... Akira wasn't very impressed to say the least.

The group took a break there, keeping a keen ear out for any approaching patrols. Akira thumbed through more books. The room was big, and the shelves were large, but none of them contained anything.

He moved on to other shelves.

"Hey," Ruby said from behind him. She beckoned him towards the shelf she was investigating. Akira sidled up next to her. She gave him a look, one of disquiet and wariness, before gesturing towards the spines on this shelf.

'Ryuji Sakamoto, Worthless Piece of Trash' read one title.

'Akira Kurusu, Criminal Delinquent', read another.

These were his thoughts. Akira scanned the shelves. Plenty of titles, on plenty of subject matters.

None of them good.

"Do I even want to know?" Akira asked as he reached out for his book. Ruby cringed.

"Well, I feel like we've hit rock bottom with how terrible Kamoshida's mind is," Ruby said.

"And yet we keep sinking deeper," Akira murmured. Ruby sighed. He looked at the cover of the book. The title was in block letters, and it was a nice brown leather. Typical. Probably the only thing he ever cared for in books was the aesthetic of the cover. What a waste.

"Y'know I keep wondering," Ruby said. Akira paused as he went to crack his book open.

"What about?" he asked. Ruby leaned against the shelf, taking a glance at the others. They were seated on a few armchairs strewn about, talking lightly.

"I've always wanted to believe the best in everybody," Ruby said, chewing on her thumbnail. "That everybody, no matter how terrible they seem on the outside, had a core that was good. That redemption was possible for anybody, no matter how vile they are."

"But you don't think it's possible for Kamoshida," Akira finished her thought. Ruby stared at him curiously for a moment. Like he said, some sort of strange connection. She probably knew it too.

"We're inside his mind, or his heart or whatever, and I haven't seen a single thing that would suggest to me any sort of sympathetic reason he acts the way he does. Not a shred of good," Ruby sighed in frustration, taking her mask off. "Everything here is just... pure evil."

"Maybe there is a reason, just one we haven't found yet," Akira said, giving up on the book and placing it back on the shelf. Kamoshida's thoughts on him weren't really worth his time. Ruby still looked trouble. Akira scrunched his nose a bit. "You never believed in evil," he said simply.

Ruby stared at him for a while, then nodded. She ran a hand over her face. "I know it might sound naive, especially after what you've been through and everything," she said quietly. Akira put his hands in his pockets, leaning against the shelf. "I didn't believe in evil. I always thought we all had the capacity for good. But it looks more and more like Kamoshida doesn't. Sorry. I know I sound like a kid, still believing in stupid stuff like that."

"It's not stupid," Akira said, finality in his tone to make it clear to Ruby that this was not a matter up for debate. "It's a good thing to believe in. If everyone thought the way you did, the world would be a much better place."

"Maybe. It's just... a rare thing, to get to see your belief being torn down with no room for doubt," Ruby toyed with a strand of hair.

"Maybe that's why you were given this power," Akira said, giving her a small smile. "So you could keep that idea alive. So you could be the one to let the good live on."

Ruby huffed a quiet laugh. "It feels like I was given this power because I was unlucky enough to not pack an umbrella that day," she said. Akira gave her a serious look.

"You and I know better though," he said, his voice low and quiet. He wondered if she could tell that the look he was giving her was something close to pleading. He needed to know that she knew. That Ruby was of the same mindset as him. Every time Akira woke up in the Velvet Room, he wanted to see Ruby in the cell opposite his. He wanted to not be alone in there.

"Yeah... Yeah I guess we do," Ruby replied, and there was that moment, that quiet moment that stretched across infinity, where something in Akira's heart tugged itself closer to Ruby's. A familiar, comforting feeling. Two people trapped, but at least they were trapped together. Akira could hope.

Akira shifted on his feet, and the moment was dispelled. They gathered their wits about them, deciding they all felt fit enough to continue on.

The day stretched on to eternity. Before long, they decided to retreat back out into the real world before eternity closed its gaping maw on them.

Akira slept that night and dreamt of gears ticking down the seconds, encased in glass. He dreamt of monsters, red eyes glowing in the dark, filled only with hate for life and a want to see it extinguished. He dreamt of floating cities, artifacts of infinite power, and silver eyes.

He awoke and remembered none of it. Not tangibly, at least. But the idea of love in spite of it all stuck with him. In the silliest of ways, he felt the effects of that dream were going to stick with him for the rest of his days.


	13. All That Glitters...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss finds her drive. The Phantom Thieves find... something.

**4/19 - Tuesday After School**

Weiss all but fell into her seat in the student council room, huffing an entirely un-Schnee like sigh. Makoto Nijima was already there flipping through a magazine idly. She raised a brow and a small smile.

"Everything okay, Ms. Schnee?" Makoto asked. Weiss quirked her mouth to the side, letting her bag slip from her shoulder onto the table. Weiss leaned back in her seat.

"Weiss," she raised one finger. "And, I don't know. I feel like my friend Ruby is avoiding me," she raised another finger. Weiss bit her lip. That wasn't an entirely fair statement to make, she supposed. Ruby had given her reasons. Weiss just felt like something was off. She had never known Ruby not to surround herself with her loved ones in her times of need. And, well, Weiss didn't want to be presumptuous, but she thought at this point she definitely qualified as a 'loved one'. She hoped.

"Ruby Rose, right?" Makoto said, putting the magazine on the table. Weiss wrung her hands slightly, sitting in a more upright position. She felt a little uncomfortable then. She and Makoto were friends, that much she knew (Ruby's influence was all over Weiss, like inked hand prints all over her- the image made her want to blush), but she felt that little tug in the back of her head, the one that Ruby had dubbed the 'Schnee Influence'.

Doubt, worry, uncertainty. Makoto looked at Weiss, her crimson eyes held kindness and sincerity, and the idea of it made Weiss want to run and hide.

"Yes," Weiss said, pushing through the feelings that threatened to bubble over and consume her. In her mind, this was her quiet defiance. A willingness to stay and be vulnerable, even a little bit, in spite of everything in her mind that prevented her from doing so.

"Why do you feel like she's avoiding you?" Makoto asked. Weiss frowned.

"I don't know. She's just been a little... distant," Weiss said, a hint of sorrow seeping into her voice. "She said she needed some time alone after seeing Shiho..."

Makoto grew quiet then. Weiss regretted opening her mouth. They sat in silence for a while. Weiss could almost see the maelstrom of thoughts that whirled inside Makoto's head. They were similar in a lot of ways. After Ruby had brought her out of her shell, Weiss had found a companionship in Makoto after she joined the Student Council.

Weiss knew that Makoto saw Shiho's attempt at taking her life as a personal failure.

"I'm sorry," Weiss said. Makoto shook her head.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Weiss," Makoto said. "It's not your fault, it's..."

"It's not yours, either," Weiss said. Makoto's face fell.

"I'm the student council president. Someone in my student body tried to commit suicide a few days ago, and we still have no real idea why. I can't be counted on to help anybody if I can't help the most vulnerable," Makoto said, shifting her gaze downwards.

"Makoto, you can't bear all that weight on your own shoulders," Weiss protested. Makoto frowned.

"It's what I signed up for," she said.

Weiss stood up then.

"Then let's find out," Weiss said. Makoto furrowed her brows.

"Find out?" she asked.

"Find out why Shiho did what she did. Find out how we can fix it," Weiss grew more impassioned as she began to speak. "If we find the problem she was facing, we can try to fix it and make sure it doesn't happen again. There's nothing more we can do to help Shiho, but we can help the others."

"The others..." Makoto echoed, crossing her arms and looking off in thought.

"Who knows how many other people are suffering just like Shiho," Weiss said. The idea had grown, had spread from an ember to a wild fire. Yes. This was how she was going to fix everything. The kernel of that idea planted itself inside Weiss' mind. For a moment, she wasn't a Schnee. She was a student in Shujin trying to do good for the other students in Shujin. "As student council, isn't it our duty to help them?"

Idealism. Weiss never thought she'd see the day. The colour looked good on the likes of Ruby, but she never thought she'd be the one to bear the torch. To see good being done, to want to actively do it in earnest. The thought made her ashamed. Had she really grown so jaded? She was young, still. For a moment, Weiss lamented the fact that she was a Schnee. She wondered how much of that childhood innocence she had lost to the family name. She wondered how different she would have been if she hadn't lost it.

"I don't know," Makoto said, absently chewing on a thumbnail. She realized what she was doing and quickly flickered her hand away, wiping it against her skirt and adjusting her braided headband. She sighed, then shook her head. "No. You're right. That is exactly what we should be doing. We'll start right away," Makoto said, her smile growing in tandem with her enthusiasm.

"We'll make sure nobody gets hurt like this again," Weiss said.

* * *

**4/19 - Tuesday After School**

Ruby tried to get up from her position on the floor, feeling bruises and aches all over.

"Ow," she said, clutching at her stomach, where one of those ghost horses (Kelpie, as Akira had informed the group), managed to get a good kick in on her.

"You okay?" Yang asked, crouching over her.

"That looked like it hurt," Ann winced. The shadow had been summarily dispatched with a quick of lightning from Ryuji's persona.

"I'm fine, just give me a minute," Ruby said, getting up to her feet. Yang offered an arm up as a brace. Ruby gratefully leaned on her sister for a moment. She exhaled a steady breath. Morgana summoned his persona to cast a healing spell on Ruby. She felt the pain subside a little.

"Man, this sucks," Ruby said, standing up on her own two feet. "Feels like we're facing stronger and stronger enemies every time."

"Might be a good sign," Akira said, hands in his pockets as he examined their surroundings.

"Yeah, it'd make sense for Kamoshida to have his strongest guards posted around the treasure," Morgana chirped in.

"Well then. Go team," Ruby chuckled weakly. Yang offered her a sympathetic smile before they continued on.

They pressed forward, up giant spiral staircases and long hallways, right out into a big courtyard that had multiple patrols of very scary, very tough looking enemies. Ruby clicked her tongue. Yeah, good sign, alright.

"How are we going to play this?" Yang asked as they crouched behind a low wall, hiding them from sight.

"We're going to be overwhelmed if we try to take all of these guys," Ann said, worry seeping into her tone. Akira studied the courtyard for a moment. His expression morphed, snapped into a smile. He figured something out.

"Follow my lead," was all he said.

Then Joker leapt into action.

He waited for a patrol to pass before he dove behind another piece of cover. He beckoned the team to get to his side. They followed along until they hit a wall. Joker leapt up on it with ease and style. He crouched low and made his footsteps as silent as possible. They walked atop the walls, the guards never once noticing them.

At the edge, there was a gap to a ledge surrounding the tall tower. Joker jumped, clearing the gap easily. Ryuji took a bit of a running start. Yang and Ann had little trouble, as did Morgana. Ruby stood up from her crouched position, backed up, and took a running leap over-

She was just short, she knew it as soon as she jumped. Ruby flailed her arms out. Yang reached out. Just short.

"Ruby!" Yang cried out. Ruby just gasped as their hands barely brushed against each other.

Ruby felt her mind go into overdrive. It was a long fall. She didn't want this to be the end. She didn't exactly have a landing strategy. Ruby did the only thing her mind could think of.

"Crescent Rose!" she called out.

The figure appeared, reached out a spindly hand to grab onto Ruby. Her weapon came up to bear. She pointed it downwards and fired.

The blast of it propelled the both of them upwards. Just enough reach for Ruby to grab onto the ledge. Crescent Rose disappeared just as fast as she was summoned. Two pairs of hands grabbed onto her and pulled her up. They all tumbled into the open window that was behind the ledge, bringing them crashing into the floor of the tower.

"Hey, Red!" Ryuji was the first to get up, bringing Ruby and Yang back up to their feet. "Oh man, you scared us!"

"Ruby," Yang gasped, hugging her sister tight. "Oh, thank God you're okay," Yang breathed. "Don't do that again."

"I wasn't planning to," Ruby laughed nervously, the adrenaline leaving her system slowly. All she could think about was how thankful she was to have Crescent Rose with her.

"You good?" Akira asked, compassion in his eyes even as he had his hands back on his pockets. Ruby nodded.

"What was that?" Ann asked. She gestured vaguely out the window. "Your persona just... brought you back up."

Morgana brought a hand to his chin. "I don't know if Persona are supposed to be able to do that..." he muttered, then shook his head. "Clearly I have a lot to learn about Persona."

"You can say that again," Ryuji shook his head.

Ruby finally took stock of her surroundings. She couldn't place her finger on it, but for some reason, things were weird. It was like everything was... shimmering. The walls were slightly off-angle. The floor was just a little bit even. The room they were in was relatively small, some sort of bedroom or something. Akira noticed the same thing, judging by the look on his face. He opened the door, leading them out into a large hall.

Okay, definitely weird.

The floor was jutting up in columns in different spots. In some places, it was entirely missing. Bits and pieces of brick were floating in place, and the shimmering energy was way more noticeable. Ruby felt like it was getting to her too. Something in her shifted a bit. She felt more... weird. She couldn't really describe it. Like somehow, the rules here were made to bent even more than they normally were in the meta-verse.

"What is... what am I even looking at?" Ann asked the question that was on their minds. Morgana nodded grimly, examining the weird jutted columns of floors.

"We're definitely on the right track. The closer we get to the treasure, the more distorted the cognition becomes," Morgana said. "This is definitely distorted."

"You figure?" Ryuji said, marveling at the strange turn the architecture had taken. Morgana just rolled his eyes.

Akira found a convenient safe room nearby, leading everyone in. Ruby took a seat in a heap. She blew out a sigh. Curiouser and curiouser. It felt about a million years since they had first set foot in the castle, and about a good hundred thousand of those years were from this day alone. Everyone else crowded around the chairs and tables they found, taking their own places. Akira leaned against the closed door.

"So, we gonna take a break and head back out?" Ryuji asked Akira. It had been what they'd done for the past couple of safe rooms they had found. Everyone was grateful for the little rest.

"Sure, but you heard what Morgana said," Akira gestured to their furry companion. "We're getting close to the end, here. That means stronger enemies than before," he said pointedly.

"Jeez, the ones we've been facing have already kind of given us a run for our money," Ann sighed.

"You guys are just a little inexperienced is all. But you're all naturals at this," Morgana said, giving them a thumbs up. (Thumbs. How about that.)

"Are you all up for it? One last push?" Akira asked them, looking at each and every person intently. They all shared looks with one another. Ruby had to admit, by now, she was feeling the first edges of fatigue catch up to her. She missed a jump that Ryuji could clear, for crying out loud. The track team may have disbanded, but her track team pride was still wounded.

The thought invigorated Ruby. She stood up.

"I'm game if you're game," she brushed some dust off her clothes. Joker gave her a sly smile, one that she matched.

"What about the rest of you?" he asked the group.

"If Ruby's going, of course I'm going too," Yang said.

"We can't give up now when we're so close to the end," Ann said, determination clear in her eyes. Ryuji jumped up from his seat excitedly.

"Hell yeah, we're gonna show that bastard exactly who he's messing with and steal that crappy heart of his!" he exclaimed.

Morgana chuckled. "Well, what you all lack in experience, you certainly make up for with enthusiasm. I'm in too."

"Let's do this," Akira said, turning around with a flourish and exiting the safe room.

* * *

They got the hang of it. Fighting.

Akira had this knack, this innate instinct of each shadow's abilities and weaknesses. He directed each of their abilities and attacks to knock them down with precision, before they all rushed in for the killing blows.

So despite only being a full proper team for like, a day, they were all finding their footing.

Even as the enemies grew stronger, it felt like so did they. They climbed the tower, higher and higher and higher. The distortions grew. The architecture of the rooms they entered felt more abstract, the air seemed to grow heavy around them, each step brought them closer to the end. Ruby's entire being vibrated in anticipation.

Then they reached it. A giant set of ornate double doors, carved out in marble, made to look intricate and regal.

It was a door to the throne room if Ruby had ever seen one. She hadn't, really, but she was willing to bet Kamoshida hadn't either.

They climbed up a window.

Well, it was kind of dumb for a bunch of people trying to heist somebody's heart to just go through the front door.

Inside the throne room, the walls and floor were lined with gold and red velvet. Flower petals blew through the air. They hid atop an upper landing, looking over the scene inside the room proper.

A congregation of guards knelt before a giant throne, where Kamoshida sat. He had an angry expression on his face as he regarded his knights.

"What do you mean you haven't found the intruders?" he asked, his voice low, but still clear in the din of the giant room. The upper floor they were on extended all the way to the back of the room. The group moved slowly and quietly.

"Do I have to remind you what happens to people who cross me?" Kamoshida shot up from his throne. He leaned down to face the knight closest to him. "Pathetic. All of you."

He droned on and on, switching between excessive self congratulatory speeches about himself and violent threats to the knights who didn't carry out his will. The sight made Ruby sick. Through and through, Kamoshida was a bad person. Ruby almost didn't want to know what his distorted desires looked like.

The group made it to the end of the room, entering through a door.

"I can feel it," Morgana said. "The treasure is just beyond here!"

Morgana excitedly took off, pushing through the room they entered. He quickly went through a door on the far side of the room. Ruby quirked a brow, sharing a quick shrug with Akira. From inside the room, they heard Morgana's gasp.

They entered what looked like a treasure room, with heaps of gold and trinkets laid about in piles.

And in the centre of it all, Kamoshida's... treasure?

It looked like a big ball of weird light.

"That's the treasure?" Yang asked, hands on her hips as she examined the strange shimmering... object?

Ryuji reached out to touch the thing, and his hand just went through it. It remained unchanged. It was light. It was literally just light, floating there.

"What the hell," Ryuji huffed. "How are we supposed to steal this?"

Morgana regained his composure, clearing his throat a little.

"Now that we've secured a route to the treasure, we have to enact the next phase of the plan," he said. Ruby hadn't been aware that there were multiple phases- she hadn't even been aware that there was a real plan besides 'find the treasure and steal it', but okay.

"And what would that be?" Yang asked. Morgana grinned.

"We send a calling card," he said easily, like that was a given.

"A calling card?" Ann asked, rightfully dumbstruck. "Like to him, in person?"

"Yep. We have to let him know that we're going to steal his treasure, his distorted desires," Morgana said. Ruby scratched her head.

"Doesn't that go against the entire point of... thievery?" Ruby asked.

Morgana tutted, crossing his arms. "We're not just any thieves, Red. We're _Phantom Thieves_ ," he said coolly.

Okay, Morgana was a wack-a-doodle. He spied the look on her face and gave an exasperated sigh.

"The treasure only materializes once the target is aware that it's in danger of being stolen. The calling card is a necessary step in this procedure, I assure you, though it does have the added bonus of being stylish," Morgana grinned toothily.

"So, we have to go back out into the real world, let him know that we're going to steal his heart with a calling card, and then come back here to steal it?" Akira surmised.

"Hit the nail on the head, Joker," Morgana said. Akira crossed his arms as he considered the thought.

"What do you guys think?" Akira asked the group.

"If that's how Morgana says we have to do it, then I guess we have to. He hasn't led us astray yet," Ann said.

"Thank you, Lady Ann. You are as insightful as you are gorgeous," Morgana said, his tone wavering in adoration. Ann chuckled nervously while the rest of the group just stared at Morgana.

"Riiight. Anyway. Hey, just a suggestion, but maybe we should regroup back outside and have a longer discussion about this?" Yang said, adjusting the two yellow bracelets on her wrists.

"Good idea," Akira said. They started making their way back out of the castle.


	14. Wild Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira and Ruby get to know each other. Ryuji gives Yang a little perspective.

**4/19 - Monday After School**

The sun was just beginning to set as they all exited the meta-verse, finding themselves back in the most eventful alley in the area around Shujin. Ruby took a quick glance to make sure there wasn't anybody milling around outside school to catch the whole group of them loitering in an alley. They weren't the most inconspicuous bunch at the moment.

"Is it weird that I kind of never want to set foot in Shujin ever again?" Yang asked, holding her hands over her head and stretching. Her shirt rode up, revealing a toned set of abs. Ruby saw both Akira and Ryuji do a double take, trying their best to be as sneaky as possible. Ugh. Boys.

She looked over and saw Ann do a much, much less subtle double take. Ruby rolled her eyes. Yang seemed still oblivious, moaning in relief as she stretched her muscles out.

"N-no, I'd say that's a pretty... pretty rational response," Ann stammered out, a hand fiddling with the zipper of her jacket. Ruby smacked her forehead.

"Guys. Calling card?" Ruby said. Ryuji and Akira immediately straightened up, though the same could not be said for Ann. Even Morgana cleared his throat a little bit.

"R-right. Calling card," Ryuji scratched at his cheek idly. "I wanna be the one to write it."

Ruby quirked her head. "Um... really?"

Ryuji stuffed his hands in his pockets in a huff. "Uh, yeah!" he said, scowling.

"No offense Ryuji, but you're not the most... verbose person," Ann said, flipping a hand through a pigtail. Ryuji crossed his arms and scowled even harder.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked hotly.

"Are you sure you want to be the one to write it?" Ann asked. Ryuji furrowed his brows.

"No, I mean, what's 'verbose' mean?"

Morgana sighed.

"We're doomed," he said, shaking his head. Ryuji scoffed.

"C'mon guys, just lemme have this one, I got a lot of awesome stuff that needs saying. It'll be cool, I promise!" Ryuji said. He looked to Akira for approval. Akira thought about it for a moment.

"Long as it gets our message across," he said, shrugging. "Go for it, buddy."

"And what is our message supposed to be, exactly?" Yang asked, looking to Morgana. The cat sat on his haunches, a smug aura permeating off of him.

"That we're going to steal his distorted heart," Morgana said, simple as all that. "We have to make sure he sees it, and he doesn't ignore it."

"Oh I'll make sure he can't brush it off, alright," Ryuji said, a toothy smile on his face.

"Alright, once our calling card is ready, we'll wait on your call to decide when to send it," Morgana said to Akira. "We're going to have to go to his palace as fast as we can. The treasure will only materialize for a short amount time, so long as the target feels it being threatened. Make sure we're all ready for this. It'll be the real point of no return."

They all silently processed his words. Akira adjusted his glasses.

"We're Phantom Thieves, we'll get it done," he said, his tone firm and resolute. Ruby nodded in agreement.

They all disbanded after that, going back home before it got too dark. Ruby, Yang and Akira made small talk as they walked the backstreets of Yongen. It was as weird a Monday as Ruby had ever experienced but somehow, walking back with Akira and Yang, she felt a sense of normalcy she hadn't experienced in a long while. There was a purpose, a drive, and a possibility to see it through. This was how it was. Akira might as well have been their childhood friend, living right across the street from them.

"You guys did great today, by the way," Akira said, pausing to face them as they reached Leblanc. "Glad you two have my back."

"You're a great leader," Yang said. "It's been... an experience."

Akira nodded, smiling. "See you."

Yang and Ruby headed home. The days kept coming.

* * *

**4/20 - Tuesday Morning**

Akira had told them they were taking a couple days before sending the calling card, so Ruby had taken the opportunity to finally make it up to Weiss. She was a good friend, dammit, though her stained heart massively doubted her.

"I'm sorry Ruby, I'm going to be busy today- Makoto and I are having a planning session for the student council," Weiss said to Ruby after she asked her out to lunch after school, her demeanour apologetic.

Well. That was... Ruby wanted to say ironic, but she wasn't entirely sure if it was. Ruby put a hand on her hip, blowing her bangs out of her face. Well, she probably deserved this.

"You guys planning something big?" Ruby asked, settling into her seat in class behind Weiss. Weiss sat and turned to face her.

"Well, I guess you could say that. It's important," Weiss said, and how could Ruby even be upset at that smile Weiss wore on her face? There was a time when those were few and far between. "I can't tell you much yet, but I think you'll be happy about it."

Ruby leaned her chin on her hand. "Well. I'm excited already."

Weiss bit her lip, looking at Ruby. "Hey. I'm sorry you've been feeling upset... You know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Weiss said, surprising Ruby with her gentle tone.

"Yeah, Weiss, of course," Ruby said. Weiss smiled, drumming a couple fingers on Ruby's desk. There was a twitch, a little movement in Weiss' hand as she almost seemed to reach out to Ruby.

The moment was interrupted as their homeroom teacher walked in. Ruby sighed internally. It was the little things. She brushed all the thoughts aside as the school day started proper.

* * *

**4/20 - Tuesday After School**

Ruby bumped into Akira as they both exited the bathroom at the same time.

They froze.

"Fancy seeing you here," Akira said. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Kurusu," Ruby gave a deep, flourished bow. She overestimated her sense of balance and stumbled as she raised one leg up. Akira caught her by her shoulders and steadied her, a small smile on his face. Ruby laughed nervously, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Thanks," Ruby said. "I hope you washed your hands."

Akira frowned, shifting on his feet slightly. "Yeah," he said, a small lilt of a question in his voice.

"Right, sorry, I was just making a joke," Ruby cringed. Damn, she was off balance today, in more ways than one. She liked Akira. She considered him a friend. But it occurred to her, that besides a couple conversations here and there, and their escapades into the meta-verse, she and Akira had never actually hung out. They'd barely made introductions to each other before being locked up in jail and awakening to their Persona, after all.

"You okay?" Akira asked, quirking his head.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine," Ruby said. She smacked herself internally. She never was the best at making friends. It was one of the first things Yang had drilled into her as she entered Shujin: that she'd do well to make friends. Well. She got Weiss. So, points for her there. Ruby looked at Akira, his cool grey eyes boring into her the same way it did when they first met.

"You going home?" Ruby asked. Akira nodded. Ruby swallowed thickly. "Well, do you have any plans? Wanna go grab some lunch?"

There, see. Good first step. Actual friends.

"Sure," Akira said. "Got a place in mind?"

"C'mon," Ruby beckoned with a quirk of her head. "I've got a great place in mind."

"Morgana, you wanna go home?" Akira looked at his bag. The figure of a black cat popped out. Ah. So Akira just brought Morgana to school in his bag. Totally normal, to have a cat hiding out in your bag.

Well. A talking cat. Normal pretty much went out the window around them, so she really didn't have a leg to stand on there.

"I can find my way home," Morgana said. "Just let me out at the station."

"Are you in his bag every day?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah," both Morgana and Akira said in unison.

"O... kay," Ruby said. They headed out of school, making small talk all the while.

* * *

Ruby's hidden gem was a little sushi shop tucked away in a corner of Kichijochi, right down the alley to a jazz club. Yang and Blake had discovered the place in their first year of high school. They had brought Ruby, and eventually, Weiss along to experience the magic that was good, cheap sushi. It was a nice, quiet place to talk. But also, yeah, the sushi was really good.

Ruby and Akira sat down.

"Order whatever you want, it's on me," Ruby said. Akira frowned at her. She just rolled her eyes. "You live in an attic, Kurusu. 'Till you get a part time job or something, let me do the decent thing and treat you."

"Fine, but I'll pay you back once I do get a job," Akira told her firmly. Ruby shrugged. Fine by her. The waitress took their order, placing two glasses of water in front of them. A silence lapsed over the two.

"So," Ruby started, drumming her fingers on the table. "Akira Kurusu."

"Ruby Rose," Akira challenged easily. Ruby huffed a small laugh.

"Tell me about yourself," Ruby tugged a little at the collar of her uniform. "What do you like to do?" she cleared her throat once, smiling as she raised the water to her lips. "Besides thievery, that is."

Ah, if only one-year-ago-Yang could see her now. See how she was absolutely nailing it at this 'making friends' thing. Knocking it out of the dang park.

Akira adjusted his glasses. " _Phantom_ thievery. Important distinction," he said, a wry smirk on his face. Ruby tilted her head, conceding his point. Akira blew out a short breath. "I like to read," he said.

"Are they surprised?" Ruby asked, folding her arms on the table.

"Who?" Akira furrowed his brows.

"The other people in school, when they find out about it?" Ruby asked. Akira frowned.

"Sometimes the teachers think I'll be an easy target to get a question wrong, and I get it right, and everyone talks about me like they think I'm deaf. They're always surprised the new kid with a criminal record could ever answer a question right in his life," Akira sighed.

"Maybe it's a good thing, to be underestimated like that," Ruby said. Akira shrugged.

"Maybe. Just wish they all..." Akira trailed off. He leaned back in his seat. "Sorry. I don't mean for this to be," he gestured vaguely around them in lieu of finishing his sentence. Ruby lowered a hand to hang by her side, smiling.

"This isn't anything. Or it is, if you want it to be," Ruby gripped her cup of water. "Just two friends hanging out is all."

Akira nodded slowly. Ruby let their silence hang for a moment. For a brief moment, they were, the two of them, just a couple of friends hanging out. It was a break, a welcome relief from their usual escapades. Not that she much preferred it just this way- after all, the meta-verse was something special. She doubted she and Akira could have the connection they did if they hadn't ended up cold-cocked and in a dingy castle prison.

"Tell me about you," Akira said. His eyes sparked a faint glimmer of challenge. (Ruby wasn't sure who the challenge was for. Her, or himself?)

Ruby made a little contemplative sound in the back of her throat. "I'm good at woodworking," she said. "Your turn."

"How'd you get into woodworking?" Akira asked. Ruby leaned forward.

"That's not the rules of the game," Ruby said. Akira leaned back, his smile cool and easy.

"I don't think we've established any rules," Akira said.

"Sure we have, just that I don't think rules have any bearing on you," Ruby said. Akira laughed, breathy and genuine. "Should have expected nothing less from the bad boy of Shujin, after all."

"Yep. That's me, through and through," Akira shook his head.

"My uncle. I learned from my uncle, who makes wood furniture for a living. Now it's your turn, tell me something else about you," Ruby said.

Akira thought for a moment. "I don't really like coffee," he said. Ruby gasped.

"Don't let Sojiro catch wind of that," Ruby whispered conspiratorially.

"I mean, I didn't really care for it before, but Sojiro's coffee is pretty good," Akira said, shrugging. "I went from barely drinking it to drinking it every day now."

"Must've been a shock," Ruby said, leaning her chin on her hand.

"I was practically vibrating that first day, thought the castle was a coffee hallucination at first," Akira said. Ruby snorted, laughing.

Their food came, they continued talking as they ate. Ruby was learning a lot about Akira- her friend, her leader. He was smart as a whip, with dry, easy wit. It seemed that although he held his feelings close to his chest always, he did indeed have a lot of them. He was already kind of quiet back home, but now, Akira found it was just easier to keep his mouth shut. It was a good plan, in theory anyway. She found out that his birthday was in October, same as her, and that he was an avid gamer, especially loving retro games. Akira found out just as much about her. How she had been running since she was young, how close she was with Weiss, how she was to be a child prodigy at a young age, but her parents wanted her to have a normal life and stopped her from jumping up a couple grades in middle school.

"So, how's living with Yang as a sister?" Akira asked before stuffing another roll into his mouth.

"About as eventful as you could expect," Ruby said, clicking her chopsticks together in anticipation as she carefully chose the next piece she wanted to eat. "She's a great sister. Always been there for me, even when we were young, especially when-"

Ruby paused. She looked at Akira, who was chewing slowly. She bit her lip. Supposed the topic was bound to come up eventually. "Our mom died when I was in middle school," she said, her words clear and her tone unflinching. Sure, it hurt- it always hurt a dull ache inside her chest, but it was a fact. It was a thing that happened, and it was a thing that was a part of her. It was an essential thing, because it was essential to understanding her.

"I'm sorry," Akira said, swallowing.

"It's fine. It was a while ago," Ruby cringed internally. It wasn't, but it was one of those things that you just said. "Her name was Summer Rose. I got my eyes from her," she looked at Akira dead in his eyes.

Silver on gray.

"Yang was so strong. We were- well, we weren't much of a family for a while. Dad wouldn't come out of his room for days. Yang would cook and clean. Bring me to school, help me with homework and everything," Ruby said. "She's only a year older than I am. But she's so much stronger. She cares, really cares. It's why she was trying to help Shiho. Why she reached out to Ann, too."

"Sounds like you're lucky," Akira said, his attention rapt, never deviating from Ruby. She appreciated it. Ruby lapsed back into silence. "Why don't you guys share a last name?" he asked after a small pause.

"We're only half sisters. Same dad, different moms. Make no mistake though, Summer Rose was as much a mother to her as she was to me. Apparently her biological mother left right after she was born. Dad doesn't talk about it much," Ruby said. She tucked some hair behind her ears. "What about you? Any siblings?"

Akira tactfully embraced the change in subject. "Nope. Only child. I think that was why my parents were so devastated when I was arrested. Their only kid, and they thought it all got messed up."

"They didn't know the truth?" Ruby asked. Akira pursed his lips.

"Doesn't matter. It didn't exonerate me in court, so it didn't matter to them what actually happened. Just that I was arrested, kicked out of school, and put in juvie," Akira said.

"Why did they accept this arrangement? This year in Tokyo," Ruby gestured vaguely around her.

"Because," Akira exhaled, screwing his eyes shut. He looked like he was admitting something as much to himself as to Ruby. "It'd be easier to tell everyone their son was going to school abroad than tell them he was in juvie."

"Akira," Ruby said, reaching out a hand to place over his. He accepted it with a mute nod. They stayed like that for a while.

"Sorry," he said quietly. Ruby shook her head.

"Hey," she called out to him after a pause. Akira looked at her with soft eyes. "Do you believe in destiny?"

"No," Akira answered simply. Ruby smiled.

"Good," she said.

* * *

**4/20 - Tuesday After School**

Yang was never the best at staying still. She was always moving, always fidgeting and vibrating. It was one of those things both she and Ruby had picked up from their father. He was a ball of energy if ever Yang had seen one. It made her wonder what he was like in school. An insufferable, charming idiot, if the stories were anything to go by.

Yang twirled a pencil in her hand as she walked.

Busy as she had been (and goodness, heisting a king's crown was more busy than she had thought it'd be), she hadn't had much of a chance to really talk to Blake over the past couple days.

So, imagine her disappointment when Blake had brushed her off after school. It made Yang's heart hurt in a way that she couldn't name, because Yang could see the look in Blake Belladonna's eyes, and she knew what it meant. The dark rings under her eyes, the nervous way she flitted about, the curt responses she had given Yang.

Adam Taurus.

Yang watched Blake's figure retreat down the hallways and resigned herself. She knew the other girl well enough that she needed to give her time to come around herself. She could poke and prod and push her, but Yang tended to reserve the real measures for when she could see Blake heading to a precipice she couldn't retreat from.

Yang threw the pencil up and caught it, drawing out a big sigh.

She wanted to help. That was all she ever wanted to do. To protect, to make things better.

"Something got you down, Yang?" a male voice asked from behind her. Yang turned to find Ryuji, hands in his pockets and a sympathetic expression on his face. Yang smiled at him, tight-lipped, and shook her head.

"It's nothing," she said. A bold lie, to be sure, but it was one of those things you just agree to brush off. Ryuji ran a hand through his spiky blonde locks.

"Sure," he said easily. "What are you up to anyway? If you aren't busy... do you wanna have lunch?"

Ryuji fidgeted a little on the spot. If Yang looked close enough, she could even see the first dusting of pink in his cheeks. She smiled. Ryuji was adorable. But if it was a date he was after, well, he was kind of barking up the wrong tree.

"I just figured, we're team mates now, and we should all kind of... get to know each other better?" Ryuji mumbled, looking very much not at Yang. He stuffed his hands back in his pockets. "I know the others pretty well, so," he cleared his throat, chancing a glance at Yang before hurriedly looking away again.

There was the briefest of silences before Ryuji blew an explosive breath. "Or, you know, it's fine. We don't gotta- you're probably busy, so I'll just. Go."

"Slow down, cowboy," Yang said, just before he made to turn and leave. "Sorry. I'm a little distracted. I'd love to have lunch with you," Yang said, smiling. "Platonically though, right?"

Ryuji sputtered for a quick second. "Yeah! I mean, yeah. I wasn't like, asking you out or anything, I... yeah."

Ruby was right. Ryuji wore every last emotion he had on his sleeve. It was a good thing. He seemed to gain his momentum back then, grinning at her.

"Alright, I got the perfect place- you like beef bowls?" Ryuji asked.

* * *

Yang did love beef bowls, but apparently not as much as Ryuji did. He practically inhaled the bowl, but not before dumping as much ginger as he could on it. Yang admired his hearty appetite. He was still lean though, with a slender runner's body.

"Man, you really enjoy beef bowls, huh?" Yang asked. Ryuji, mouth full of meat and rice, nodded.

"Proteins, carbs, what else could a guy need?" Ryuji swallowed before speaking.

"Ginger, apparently," Yang said, pointing her chopsticks at the mound of red on his bowl. She huffed out a small laugh as Ryuji's expression turned sheepish.

"You and Ruby are really similar, you know," Yang said as she went back to eating her own bowl. Ryuji stopped scarfing down his own food for a moment as he looked at Yang, struck by her words.

"What, really?" he asked. Yang nodded.

"Yeah. For one, I'm sure without supervision, your diet is completely garbage," Yang teased. "I'm pretty sure Ruby wouldn't eat anything but pancakes and cookies if I didn't say anything."

Ryuji chuckled. Yang looked at him. "And you've both got this strong moral compass. I know where my sister gets hers from. Where do you get yours?"

Ryuji paused, chewing thoughtfully. "My mom," he answered easily, his mouth still full. He swallowed his food. "It's just me and her since my dad walked out when I was really little."

Yang blinked, then relaxed a little. The way he spoke about it was so... carefree. There was no malice or bitterness in those words, at least not that she could see. Yang wished she could do the same. The small smile on Ryuji's face made her think that she could. One day.

"I guess we have something in common," Yang said, trying hard to not let the bitterness colour her tone too much. "My mom walked out right after I was born."

"That's... rough. I'm sorry," Ryuji said. Yang waved him off. "So your dad raised you and Ruby alone?"

Yang bit her lip. "No... Well. Kind of. Ruby's my half sister. We share the same dad. Her biological mom raised us both. She's the one I think of as my mom," she sighed, screwing her eyes shut. "She died a while back. Ever since then it's been the three of us."

"That must be hard," Ryuji said, his voice softer than Yang had ever heard it. It made her heart twist and bend in on itself. She nodded once.

"We're fine now. It's been a while," Yang said.

"You know, you seem like you take care of other people a lot. You've been taking care of Ruby, you tried with Shiho, and now with Ann," Ryuji said after a period of silence. Yang pushed her food away, not particularly feeling like eating it at the moment. She scrunched her nose and looked to Ryuji. "I guess I'm wondering if you have anybody like that for you," he said.

The way Ryuji said things, without pretense or bad intention, just cut right to the heart of things in a way that few people could. God. Of all people, she hadn't expected Ryuji to be the one to suss her out like this.

Yang picked at her food. She thought of Blake. She thought of her eyes, golden honey, that worried after her, even at her lowest moments. She thought of their first year in Shujin, the way those eyes hadn't left her mind since then. She thought about her dark hair and her quiet smile, and the way she felt safe when she was with Blake.

She thought about her tired eyes and compulsive, scared behaviour.

All those nights, worrying where Blake was. Seeing a new bruise, having her dodge the question. Reaching her hand out, touching hers. Standing between her and Adam, her fists bruised and bloodied by the end. Her limbs aching and her body hurt.

Time was on repeat. History was on a loop. Adam Taurus was back in Blake's life.

Yang blinked and she was back in the beef bowl shop, and Ryuji was looking at her with eyes that held a kindness far too sincere for his own good. Yeah, just like Ruby.

Yang was safety. She had heard the voice in her heard. She was a light burning in the darkness. She was a protector.

As much as she needed Blake to lean on, right now Blake needed her more. In her mind, Yang quietly resolved to help, as soon as this whole Kamoshida business was done.

"Yang?" Ryuji asked. Yang paused, taking a deep breath before smiling at Ryuji.

"Blake Belladonna. She's my best friend, and when I'm with her, I feel safe," Yang answered his question. Ryuji scratched at his cheek, searching her briefly. His brown eyes clumsily bored into hers, searching for the truth.

"Alright then," he said. He turned back to his food. "Good beef bowl though, right?"

Yang breathed a laugh. "Yeah. It's a pretty good beef bowl, Ryuji. Thank you."

They continued chatting, getting to know each other. Ruby sure knew how to pick them. All at once, Yang started feeling grateful. If she had to have this... adventure with any group of people, she was glad it was them.


	15. Checkmate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to knock the crown off of the King's head. The Phantom Thieves face their toughest fight yet.

**4/21 - Wednesday Night**

Akira texted the group.

 **Akira:** It's going down tomorrow

He locked his phone and held it close to his chest, blowing out a quick breath. This was it. He looked at Morgana, who stared back with hard eyes. Akira drew his legs up and crossed it on his bed. His phone buzzed. He unlocked it and read the group chat.

 **RedLikeRoses:** Alright team, we got this!

 **CapnRyuji:** Hell yeah! Let's kick some ass!

 **Ann:** remind me again why we're allowing custom screen names.

 **Yang, The Hot One:** because

Akira huffed out a small laugh, then set the group settings to not allow custom names.

 **Yang:** damn.

 **Yang:** dont hate me because i'm beautiful guys

 **Ann:** thanks akira!

 **Ruby:** Laammmeee :/

 **Akira:** Make sure we're all prepped and ready for tomorrow. We can do this.

Akira read all their responses in the affirmative. He put his phone down, putting his glasses away and pinching the bridge of his nose.

Kurusu, you need to take a good hard look at your life and make some drastic decisions.

"We're going to be alright. We'll pull it off," Morgana said, padding over from his spot on the couch. Though he'd only been living with Akira for a brief period of time so far, Morgana's presence had become somewhat of a mainstay. Sojiro had taken a shining to him the way paper took to water. Akira found it nice to have a companion. It was a welcome change from being alone all the time.

Akira nodded at Morgana, then got up to turn the lights off. Sojiro had long gone home, and Akira had locked up the shop already. He returned to bed, where Morgana settled next to him. Akira gave his head a quick rub. Morgana resisted less than he had the previous day.

Progress.

Akira slept.

* * *

**4/22 - Thursday Afternoon**

Ruby had to give Ryuji some credit.

There was no way Kamoshida was going to ignore this.

He had made multiple cards, and stuck them all over school. Prominently, it was over the notice board, where it covered most of the notices placed on there. The cards were bright red, with a little cartoonish design of mask and a top hat, with the words 'Take Your Heart' underneath it.

Calling card, alright.

Ryuji looked on in satisfaction as Ruby joined him and Akira.

Students were gathered around, reading the card and murmuring among themselves.

"Whaddya think? Good enough to catch his attention?" Ryuji asked, grinning. Ruby tilted her head.

"No points for subtlety, Sakamoto," Ruby said. She plucked a card from the wall beside her. She read the contents aloud.

"Suguru Kamoshida, utter bastard of lust. We know about your sins, and your twisted desires. You abuse students who are unable to fight back, and push people to to unspeakable acts. You have been allowed to do so without consequence. This will not go on. We will steal those distorted desires and make you confess all your crimes. This act will be done tonight. Signed, The Phantom Thieves of Hearts," Ruby read. She quirked a brow at Ryuji, who was looking at her expectantly. Like a puppy looking for approval.

The students around them continued their gossiping.

_Does this mean the rumours are true?_

_Did Mr. Kamoshida do something wrong?_

_What are they going to steal from him? I don't get it._

Ruby sighed. Well. Mission accomplished. Kamoshida was going to run into this sooner or later.

"No points for dramatic flair, but good job, Skull," Ruby said. Ryuji fist pumped. Akira just watched the student body with searching eyes. Morgana popped out of his bag.

"The logo's a little lacking," he said, tail swishing unhappily. Ryuji frowned. Morgana tutted. "Style is an important hallmark of any Phantom Thief worth their salt."

Ryuji groaned. "Whatever! The point is this'll get his attention, won't it? Calling card sent."

"Yes, but whatever we do, we always have to do with-"

Morgana paused, then hid in Akira's bag. Ryuji raised his brows, looking to Ruby. She just shrugged.

Their unasked question was answered.

Kamoshida came stomping around the corner. The students gathered around the noticeboard froze, the murmuring stopped almost instantly. He read the calling card, his face growing redder by the minute.

"Who's responsible for this?" Kamoshida bellowed. The students all scattered, running off like a school of fish being spooked away. Akira, Ruby and Ryuji stood their ground a little ways down the hallway. Akira slipped his hands in his pockets as he leveled his gaze at the teacher. Kamoshida tore a card off the wall, marching over to the three of them.

"Sakomoto, Kurusu and Rose. The usual suspects. Did you do this?" Kamoshida shoved the calling card in front of their faces.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Akira said, his demeanour cool and collected, like always. It seemed to make Kamoshida even angrier.

"Don't bullshit me," he growled. His gaze turned to Ryuji and Ruby. "You little shits had something to do with this."

Ruby crossed her arms. "Prove it," she said, her gaze even. His face contorted in anger for a minute, before he dropped his arms to his side.

"Fine. You'll all be expelled soon enough anyway," he said, turning to stalk off.

The world flashed red, time stood still. Suddenly they were back in the castle. King Kamoshida stood before them, his ugly, sneering visage whole and present.

"Come and get it," he snarled.

The moment left as soon as it came. Everything went back to normal. They watched Kamoshida walk away.

"You guys saw that, right?" Ryuji said. Ruby let out a breath.

"Yeah," Akira said. "Think that means it worked?"

Morgana popped his head out of Akira's bag. "Oh, definitely. His treasure's probably materialized already. Now's our chance."

Akira nodded, pushed up his glasses, and looked at the other two. "See you after school," he said.

They dispersed, heading back to their classrooms as the bell rang.

This was it.

* * *

**4/22 - Thursday After School**

Alarm bells of all sorts rang in Ruby's head as soon as they transported themselves to the meta-verse.

In her gut, Ruby knew there was something wrong. An inherent panic, not in her, but on the very ground they walked on. The entire castle was on alert, like an animal that had been trapped and cornered.

She knew Akira felt it too, as he tensed and checked his weapons. Ruby held her rifle in her hands, feeling the heft of it and letting it ground her. This was really it. Do or die. She looked at the rest of the group.

"This is it," Ruby said. They nodded at her.

"We're going to have a limited amount of time to grab the treasure. Once we do, this entire palace will come crumbling down, so we have to get out as fast as possible," Morgana said, hands on his hips as he looked over the tall visage of the tower.

"We ready?" Akira asked, twirling his gun around before keeping it in his coat.

"Hell yeah, let's go change some hearts!" Ryuji exclaimed, his grin razor sharp.

"For Shiho," Ann said solemnly, his face set in a grim expression.

"For everybody suffering under this asshole," Yang's expression mirrored Ann's.

"Let's get it done, Phantom Thieves," Ruby said.

And they set off to get it done.

* * *

It was empty.

The entire castle, the entire time they were getting back to the throne room. Silence. Dust and echoes.

It made Ruby incredibly on edge. She was anticipating hordes of shadows. She was expecting an army of knights. Something. But there was nothing and there was nobody.

They moved cautiously.

"This place is giving me the creeps," Ryuji said in a hushed tone.

"Yeah, where is everybody?" Ann chimed in.

They had made their way to the central tower, where the distortion was beginning to grow stronger, even more so than their previous visit. The calling card apparently had had plenty of effects on Kamoshida's cognition. Ruby felt this invisible heartbeat, almost angry. There was nothing about this situation that felt right, but maybe this was how it was when a target was trying to protect their treasure. Akira moved swiftly and silently. The beating grew louder and louder as they approached the throne room. It unnerved Ruby somewhere deep inside her heart.

They reached the upper landing, and the giant double doors to the throne room was... open. Wide open. And nobody was inside. The throne was still there, unoccupied and imposing. The room seemed normal, unaffected by the architectural distortions that affected the rest of the tower. Akira stood still for a moment, closing his eyes and focusing. Ruby kept a keen ear out for any noise, but... nothing.

Akira opened his eyes, then signaled for them to move through the doors.

Ruby held her breath as they entered the room, fully prepared for a trap to spring, or for them to be ambushed. Nothing.

"It... can't be this easy, can it?" Yang asked as she brought up the rear, her hands up and at the ready to strike. "Morgana?"

Morgana kept his eyes peeled, looking over every inch of the room. "I don't know... it doesn't feel right, but everybody must have different reactions to being threatened maybe?"

"Maybe?" Ryuji hissed.

"It's not an exact science, alright!" Morgana hissed back.

They moved past the throne room. It smelled sickly sweet. Ruby couldn't wait to be rid of it. The treasure room was just ahead. The air was still and silent as they opened the door.

There it was. The sick, twisted, beating heart of Kamoshida's distorted desires.

A glowing crown, sitting pretty in the center of a pile of gold.

"T-treasure!" Morgana said, immediately scrambling out to grab the crown. He yowled happily, rolling around on the ground with the treasure. Everyone looked on in fascination and confusion as Morgana continued hugging the it, ecstatic.

"Alright, I think that's enough of that," Yang said, yanking it out of Morgana's grasp and swatting the monster cat on the back of the head as he pathetically mewed. It seemed to snap Morgana out of his trance.

"You okay, Mona?" Akira asked. Morgana straightened up, clearing his throat as he looked at the group sheepishly.

"S-sorry! I don't know what came over me..." Morgana kicked his little foot as he let out a nervous chuckle. Ryuji palmed his face, sighing. "Lady Ann, it was so improper of me to let you-"

"Yeah, yeah, let's just go before this whole place comes crashing down around our ears," Ryuji interrupted, turning around to leave the room.

Akira caught Ruby's eye, his expression still uneasy. Ruby cottoned on to his meaning. This wasn't right at all. There was something they were missing. Ruby chewed on the inside of her cheek. Akira shook his head, moving ahead of Ryuji. She rushed to join him.

The other shoe dropped right as they were about to exit out of the throne room.

The giant doors shut in their faces, and an evil laugh rang throughout, echoing off of seemingly every corner of the room. Ruby turned and found Kamoshida sitting on his throne, cackling.

"You idiots didn't really think it'd be that easy, did you? You all must be dumber than you look," Kamoshida grinned. He held a hand out, and the treasure violently flew from Ryuji's hands, knocking him off balance from the force of it. It landed in the palm of Kamoshida's hand, where he placed it on his head.

"This is _my_ world, _my_ rules. This crown is proof of that! What don't you filthy little peasants understand about that?" Kamoshida growled, all the mirth gone from his face.

"Shut up!" Ann shouted at him. "There is no world where someone like you should be able to run free. You're a monster!"

"You say that, but ask yourself: if that were true, then why am I still allowed to rule this school?" Kamoshida shot an arm out of his cloak, pointing at Ann. She was silent, her expression murderous. "That's right. You don't understand that I'm not the problem- I'm merely thriving in the system. I'm using my gifts for my own gain, and everyone profits off of it and they all keep their mouth shut. You're all naive, insolent brats."

"If what you're saying is true," Ruby began, bringing her hood up atop her head.

"Then we're going to take the whole damn corrupt system down!" Ryuji exclaimed, bringing his shotgun to bear.

"Starting with you, you rat bastard," Yang growled, putting her fists up.

"What a joke. You still don't understand. I'm a cut above all other humans. Nothing can take me down. You're all fighting for that pathetic girl who tried to kill herself, misguided fools, I'm not going down for something as small as that!" Kamoshida growled.

"You're a fucking demon, putting your twisted desires on people who can't fight back, who don't know better. We're going to take your disgusting heart," Ann unfurled her whip.

Kamoshida started laughing, an ugly, deep chortle, that seemed to grow in volume and bass. "Well you've got one thing right, bitch," he snarled.

It happened suddenly, in a splash of black ooze. The human form of Kamoshida disappeared, grew and twisted. What they saw before them, nobody could conceivably call human. He was at least two stories tall, with four gangly limbs, stretched and skeletal. His eyes, bright red and bulging, seemed to roll around idly in his skull. His jaw became a gaping maw, full of rows and rows of razor sharp teeth, with a long, disgusting tongue that dripped with saliva. He continued laughing and laughing.

"I'll dispose of all of you myself!" he let out an unearthly cry.

Akira cocked his weapon, pulled out of his coat lightning quick. "Let's finish this."

Joker fired the first shot. It seemed to pierce his skin, black ooze spraying out, but it quickly healed over.

Objects materialized in each hand. In one, he held a clear goblet, looking like it was filled with women's legs. He drank from it, and his wound quickly sealed over. Another arm, holding a massive golden knife, raised up to slam in the middle of the group. They scattered as it came crashing down, blowing dust and debris all over the room.

Red hid behind one of the pillars with Joker. They peeked out to take more potshots at Kamoshida. Red peered through her scope to land one right between his eyes. He seemed like he could take it. The glean of something shiny caught her eye. She hadn't noticed before, but the crown was still there, atop his head, though it had grown considerably in size.

"The crown," Red said to Joker. He nodded.

"We'll keep him distracted, you try to get into a better position to take it off," he crouched and looked to Skull to give him the signal to attack. Red left without another word, looking for a way to climb up to the upper platform.

* * *

"Garu!" Joker called out, diving out from his cover and ripping off his mask. Kelpie shot a gust of wind out towards Kamoshida.

"Carmen!" he heard Panther call out at the same time. Her blast of fire mixed with his wind to create a violent explosion that left part of Kamoshida's arm with charred skin. He cried out in pain, swiping his arms around violently. Joker noticed him take another sip of his goblet at the same time. He was healing. Joker barely leapt over a sweeping arm attack.

Two rapid fire shotgun blasts hit Kamoshida in the torso, knocking the wind out of him. He directed his attention to Gold and Skull, bringing his arms down to bear on them.

Joker looked back to the goblet. He sidled up to Mona, who shot out a healing spell towards Gold, in a shower of sparkles.

"The goblet is healing him. We have to take it out," he told Mona, who nodded with no further hesitation. Joker shot out back into the battlefield, firing a series of shots as he flipped over Kamoshida's tongue.

"The goblet!" Joker repeated his instructions to Gold, Panther and Skull. They understood with no further input, aiming all their weapons at the target.

Joker called forth Arsene, and a mass of black tentacles shot out from the air to grab onto one of Kamoshida's arms, binding it for a moment. Joker ran up to the monster, kicking off his massive stomach to leap up and slash at the trapped arm, landing neatly on the ground as he screeched out in pain. Black ooze sprayed violently. Joker dodged a barrage of volleyballs that shot out from nowhere at him. He held his pistol on one hand and knife in the other, taking a breath behind a pillar. He peeked out and-

The whole pillar collapsed as Kamoshida struck it. Joker was knocked off his feet, sent skidding into the wall.

Joker coughed as he attempted to get up. He leaned against the wall as he stared at Kamoshida in anger.

Asshole.

With a series of shots, the goblet in Kamoshida's hand flew away, spilling on the ground. He let out an ear-piercing scream.

"Peasants! Brats! Respect your goddamn elders!" Kamoshida screamed.

Joker felt his vitality return to him as Mona and Panther approached him with a bright shower of sparkles.

"If we didn't piss him off before, we certainly have now," Gold said.

"Yeah it's something of a specialty of ours, I guess," Joker stood up on his own two feet. He spied a small glint on the upper platform. He shot his head around to see Red, laid down in her stomach, barrel of her sniper rifle poking through a banister. Joker nodded.

He walked up to Kamoshida, who was full on writhing and thrashing as his wounds didn't heal over. Joker kept his weapons back in his coat. Kamoshida screamed at him. Flecks of saliva flew all over the place. Joker pointed a finger gun at Kamoshida.

"Bang," Joker said.

At that exact moment, Ruby's rifle cracked out even through the noise of the throne room.

_Tink!_

It hit its mark, dead on. The crown twirled as it flew up in the air. Kamoshida screamed louder. His arms reached up to his head to feel its absence.

"Now! All in!" Joker cried out taking his knife back out. The other Phantom Thieves joined in. Red jumped down from the upper floor, bringing her scythe down on Kamoshida. Joker slashed a great mark on Kamoshida's belly. The chaos of it was almost perfect. Choreographed violence. A deadly dance.

They reeled back, regrouping. Kamoshida laid there, battered and bleeding. At once, the monstrous form on his disappeared, and the human form of Kamoshida took his place, whimpering on the ground.

Ann was the first to catch her breath. She walked up to him, giving him a swift kick in the chest. He coughed, the wind knocked out of him. Kamoshida scrambled to his hands and knees as he attempted to crawl away.

"I-I surrender!" he whimpered. "P-Please have mercy on me, I'll do whatever you want, I swear!"

He got to his feet weakly, turning to open a door to the balcony. The red sky loomed overhead. Ann stalked his every move.

"You're a little too late to be begging, asshole," Ann growled. Yang joined her.

"Did Shiho beg?" she asked, her voice ice cold. Kamoshida just continued to whimper.

"You don't understand. None of you understand, the pressure they all put me under. I had to be the best, I had to do everything they ever expected of me! I just- I just needed a way to make it all... better," Kamoshida cried, dropping to his knees.

Yang and Ann looked on impassively. Akira flickered a glance to Ruby, who had her mask up. Her eyes widened as she heard Kamoshida's words.

"What kind of lame excuse is that?" Ann growled. She drew her weapon. "Do you think that excuses anything you've done? You pathetic coward!"

"Ann!" Ryuji called out.

Akira tensed, his hand twitching towards the gun in his coat pocket. Instead he relaxed his stance.

"Yang, Ann," he called out. "What do you want to do?"

They didn't respond. Akira held out his hope. He knew their answers. He had faith.

Ann screamed, squeezing off a shot near Kamoshida's head. He jolted in surprise, crying even harder. Yang put a hand on Ann's shoulder.

"I want this bastard to pay for everything he's done," Ann tossed her gun away angrily. She brought her mask up, and started crying. Yang brought her close into an embrace.

"He will, Ann," Yang murmured, just loud enough for Akira to catch.

Morgana came to Akira with Ann's weapon and the crown. He took them both.

"W-what do I do now?" Kamoshida gasped out.

"Pay for your sins," Ruby said. Her gaze was hard, but in there, Akira could spot just the barest hints of hope. The core of good that resided in her, that couldn't be stamped out. The sight of it made Akira happy in a way he couldn't name. "Atone," Ruby continued, her voice hoarse.

Akira found Ruby's hand, squeezing it tight once. Ruby looked to him appreciatively.

Good existed. Somewhere.

Kamoshida looked up at the Phantom Thieves.

"Okay," he said. He disappeared in a flash of light. Ann and Yang broke up, each wiping away their tears

Catharsis. Something close to it. Akira held the crown in his hands.

The castle started rumbling. The ground beneath them started shaking.

"Uh oh," Morgana said.

"Uh oh?" Ryuji asked, then his eyes shot wide open as he realized. "Uh oh. Uh oh!"

"The castle's about to crumble!" Morgana exclaimed. "We gotta book it!"

"Ann, Yang!" Akira called out. They look at him with a hard expression.

"Right behind you!" Ann responded. Akira nodded and took off in a dead sprint.

The walls seemed to fall off, piece by piece. The ground too. It got more violent as time went on. They made their way down the tower, into the castle proper.

The ground started falling off behind them, nipping at their heels. Ruby and Ryuji took the front, sprinting at a blazing pace. Akira chanced a look behind to find a white void where the castle was. He desperately didn't want to know what would happen if he was caught in it.

Ann and Yang brought up the rear, with Morgana, whose little legs were working overtime to keep up.

"Joker!" Morgana called out. Akira didn't have time to react before he felt him jump atop his head, causing him to stumble for a moment before regaining his balance. He didn't have the time or breath to chide the monster cat as he kept his legs pumping.

Ahead of him, Akira witnessed as Ryuji suddenly fell, crumpled into a heap.

Akira's heart leapt up into his throat.

He clutched his leg, crying out in pain. Akira almost ran up to him, but Ruby skidded to a halt, grabbing Ryuji's arm and hoisting him up with blinding speed.

"We gotta go, Sakamoto!" Ruby screamed. Ryuji kept running, the limp in his leg more pronounced.

They were close. Akira hoped Ryuji could hold out, he hoped beyond hope that Ryuji could make it. He couldn't bear to lose him. Not now. Not like this.

"Dia!" Morgana summoned his persona to cast a healing spell on Ryuji. His limp became a little less pronounced. Akira could only hear his heart pounding in his ears. The world was shaking like crazy.

They crashes out through the castle doors, out into the courtyard and over the drawbridge and-

Akira landed in a heap atop Ruby and Ryuji. He didn't have time to recover before he felt Ann and Yang crash on him.

He coughed and took in deep, gasping breaths. The all groaned, a crumpled heap.

Stylish Phantom Thieves, alright.

* * *

**4/22 - Thursday Evening**

"Please get off of me," Ruby squeaked out beneath the others. She was strong, sure, but she wasn't 'carry four teenagers' strong.

She felt the weight and pressure go away as the Phantom Thieves disentangled themselves from each other. Ruby rolled on her back, looking up at the purple twilight sky.

Back in the real world.

In the dingiest, shadiest alley in all of Tokyo.

The filthy ground.

Ruby had never felt more relieved.

"We... we did it," Ryuji panted out, sat on the floor against a wall. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair. "Holy shit."

"We did it," Yang echoed in a gasp, hands on her knees. She shot up. "We did it!"

"That was so scary," Ann took a seat beside Ryuji. "Are you okay?" she asked Ryuji, who gave a breathy laugh and waved her off.

"So what happens now?" Ruby sat up, looking at Morgana, who was sitting on his haunches atop the bicycle.

"Now we wait for the real Kamoshida to have a change of heart," Morgana said. Ruby frowned.

"What will that look like?" she asked. Morgana gave his best approximation of a shrug. Ruby sighed. She sidled over to Ryuji's other side.

"How's the leg, Flash?" Ruby asked. Ryuji barked out a laugh, caught off guard by Ruby's use of his old track nickname.

"I'm fine, seriously. Better than fine. We finally did it," Ryuji said.

"We're all worried about you, dingus. You took a nasty fall at the worst possible time," Yang chided Ryuji. She knelt down and gave Ryuji a hug, drawing Ann and Ruby into it. "Group hug time! Akira, Morgana, get in here."

Ruby, though she was being crushed by Yang's forceful hug, saw Akira and Morgana come down to join the hug.

Here they were, the graceful Phantom Thieves, having a group hug in the filthy alleyway right next to school.

"Alright, it's getting late, we should all go home," Ruby said, struggling to get out of her sister's death grip. Yang sighed and relented.

"We'll meet up in school tomorrow," Ann said. "I'd say we deserve a little celebration."

Ruby got up on her feet. A shiny glint caught her eye on the floor. She bent down to pick up a gold medal. An Olympic gold medal.

"Woah," Ruby said, presenting the object to the rest.

"This must be his treasure," Morgana said. "The source of all his distorted desires."

"It was a crown," Yang said, examining the medal.

"That was just his cognitive representation. This is what his distorted desires truly came from," Morgana explained. Ruby held the medal in her hands.

"At the end, he said something about having to live up to everybody's expectations," Ruby muttered. She sighed. This was what started it all. Fame, talent, and the pressure to succeed. This was the answer to her question, after all.

"How about you hang onto it?" Akira said. He offered his schoolbag to Morgana, who leapt in immediately. "Might make a good memento."

Morgana popped his head out to look at Akira, then hid back in the bag after a moment of contemplation.

Ruby kept the medal in her bag.

"C'mon Ryuji, I'll bring you home, make sure you don't fall down in a gutter somewhere and break your neck," Ann beckoned the blonde boy, who sighed but acquiesced.

They headed home for the day.

Ruby flopped on her bed, thankful she didn't have homework.

What a day.

She dreamed of gears.


	16. When The Game Is Over...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The King goes back into the box.

**? - ?**

Ruby woke up in a chair.

Gears ticked underneath her feet.

She was back in her Phantom Thieves outfit. Her heart rate went up instantly. She looked around the room for any signs of danger. She got up from her seat and summoned her weapon to her hands.

"Welcome back, trickster," a calm voice called out from beside her. A desk materialized, and behind it, Igor. He smiled. "Or shall I say, huntress?"

Ruby relaxed a little. Her weapon disappeared from her hands.

"Igor," Ruby greeted him. He adjusted the small black glasses that sat low on his nose.

"Congratulations are in order, I suppose," Igor said, steepling his fingers together and leaning his elbows on the table. The gears continued ticking. Ruby noted the absence of music this time. "You've managed to aid in the first step towards rehabilitation."

"You mean stealing Kamoshida's heart?" Ruby asked. Igor nodded. He motioned for her to take a seat. Ruby did so hesitantly. She had a million questions on the tip of her tongue.

"We do not have much time," Igor said. He shut his eyes. "So listen closely."

"What do you mean?" Ruby began. Igor held up a hand, a silent plea in his eyes for her to listen.

"The threads of fate and time are tangled up, interweaved. You must understand, this is not how things are supposed to be," Igor sighed. He leaned back slightly. "You will understand it in time. But for now, we must act. Your path will not be an easy one, but you were chosen because we know your heart will guide you in the right direction."

Ruby was silent. She watched as Igor's face screwed up in concentration. "Gather the hearts that are bound to yours. You will face the darkness, and you must triumph," he spoke with a little urgency. Igor stood up, taking his cane in his hand. The room started to crack. The edges of the room faded and cracked, disappearing entirely. They were exposed to the open night sky. Ruby looked up and saw a broken moon.

"I don't know what that means-"

Igor flickered a hand towards Ruby. "Trust in love, huntress."

Ruby woke up.

Her alarm chirped, and she saw the first edges of dawn colouring the sky.

Ruby sat for a while, wondering. For a moment, Ruby had the uneasy sensation that she wasn't where she was supposed to be.

She got up and got ready for school.

* * *

**4/23 - Friday Morning**

Akira met Kasumi on the train again.

She was focused on her phone, and didn't notice when he sidled next to her in the crowd. Her tongue was poking out of her mouth as she huffed quietly, tapping on her phone in frustration.

"Having a little trouble with your phone?" Akira asked quietly. Kasumi jolted as she whipped her head up to look at Akira. A tinge of pink appeared on her face.

"O-oh. Hi. I'm sorry I didn't see you there. I'm just a little," Kasumi looked back at her phone. She sighed. "My phone's been acting up for a while. I've been meaning to replace it."

Kasumi shook her head and pocketed her phone. She looked at Akira and smiled.

"How have you been? You look much happier than last I saw you," Kasumi said. She slapped a hand over her mouth. "N-not that you looked upset the last time- I mean-"

Akira chuckled, interrupting her. "It's fine, I know what you mean," he said. Kasumi's blush deepened in colour.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to offend you," she looked down at the ground.

"It's okay. I am happier," Akira shrugged easily. He thought about their success last night. "I made some new friends."

Kasumi beamed at him. "That's good! I heard from a few people that you just transferred here, just like me," she said. Akira quirked his brow, a small smile on his face.

"Is that all you heard about me?" he asked. Kasumi bit her lip.

"I try not to listen to rumours," she gave an easy shrug of her own. "Besides, if half of those rumours were true, you wouldn't have helped me out when we first met. I don't think a drug dealing, elephant tusk smuggling, puppy kicker would have been quite so nice."

Akira snorted. "I also litter."

Kasumi laughed, holding a hand over her mouth to suppress a giggle. It was endearing. Akira laughed.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"Oh, I've been well! I've been training hard, and I'm feeling more and more confident in my performance in the upcoming meet," Kasumi said cheerily. Akira couldn't help but share in her excitement. Something about it was pure and refreshing. A nice change of pace.

"Training, huh. Lemme guess," Akira adjusted his glasses and made a contemplative sound as he eyed Kasumi. "Gymnastics?" he asked, a complete shot in the dark. Kasumi beamed.

"You got it! How'd you know?" she asked.

"Lucky guess," Akira said. Kasumi giggled.

They chatted idly all the way to school. Akira found her company easy and enjoyable. He was glad for it.

They were stopped at the school gates as somebody called out Kasumi's name. A man in a doctor's coat of sorts, thick, black framed glasses and brown hair approached them. Kasumi greeted him cheerily.

"Doctor Maruki. Good morning!" she bowed. He bowed his head in response.

"Good morning to you as well," he said, a friendly smile on his face. Kasumi turned to Akira.

"Akira, this is Doctor Maruki, he's the new student counselor," Kasumi introduced. Akira gave him a small nod.

"Akira Kurusu," he said by way of greeting. Maruki smiled.

"Good to meet you, Akira. I'm glad to see you're making friends, Kasumi," Maruki slipped his hands into his coat pockets. Kasumi blushed a little, looking back and forth from Akira and Maruki. "Anyway, I don't mean to dilly dally and make you late for class. I just wanted to give you this," Maruki withdrew a black pocket notebook from his coat. Stamped on it, in beautiful calligraphied gold, was Kasumi's name.

"Oh! I was wondering where I left that!" Kasumi gasped and took it gently from Maruki. "I'm so sorry to trouble you, Doctor Maruki."

He waved her off. "It's no trouble at all, Kasumi. Glad I can help, after all," he chuckled. He looked at his watch. "Better get going now. See you later."

Akira left with Kasumi, heading to the classroom block. "You two seem familiar with each other," he said to the younger girl. Kasumi zipped her bag back up after keeping her notebook. She nodded.

"He was my personal therapist before he was hired here by the school, what a stroke of luck, right?" Kasumi said. Akira made a little sound in the back of his throat. He didn't much trust therapists, in his experience. They had made him see a couple in his stint in juvie, but they were just glorified wardens with a superiority complex.

They bade each other goodbye as they went into class. Ann greeted him as he entered the classroom, a subtle smile on her face, one that Akira shared.

Time to see where the day led him.

* * *

**4/23 - Friday After School**

They all met on the roof.

Ruby examined the planters. The plants were growing in nicely. She wondered who was tending to them.

"Did you guys hear?" Ryuji asked, grinning as he leaned back on the rear legs of his chair. "Kamoshida apparently didn't come to school today."

"Oh?" Yang flipped her hair behind her shoulder. "Wonder if that means it worked," she tapped a finger on her chin.

"Did anyone say why he wasn't here today?" Ann asked Ryuji. He leaned forward.

"They said he was taking a sick day," Ryuji said. "That has to mean something right?"

"We can't be sure until we see him do something that indicates his change of heart," Morgana said. Ryuji's face fell, dismayed.

"When the hell is that going to be?" he groaned.

"Our expulsion date," Akira piped up. Ruby turned, standing up to face the group. He stared at her and Ryuji, resolute. "We'll only know for sure if we don't get expelled by May 2nd."

"Oh man," Ann said, shaking her head. "That's a big gamble to know whether our change of heart worked. Isn't there an easier way to know?" she looked to Morgana.

"Well. Unless he makes a big confession or something before then, or turns himsef in to the police," Morgana said. "Some unmistakable indicator. Until then, we won't really know. I believe fully that we succeeded, however."

"But we won't know for sure until we see it," Ruby said. She sighed. "We can't go back into his palace to check?"

"It's gone, remember? Crumbled right underneath us," Morgana said.

"I checked last night too," Akira said, pulling out the navigation app on his phone. "Says the palace doesn't exist anymore."

Ryuji perked up. "Oh, uh, hey. Speaking of that," he dug around in his pocket and fished out his own phone. "I found the app on my phone last night too," Ryuji said, swiping over his home screen to where the app was.

"Ann and I found the app on our phone when we decided to try and tail you guys," Yang said. The two girls pulled their phones out to show the app.

Ruby frowned and checked her phone.

Huh. It was there. She hadn't noticed before.

"So we can all go into the meta-verse," she said, opening the app. The cursor blinked at her above a map of her current location.

"So... Phantom Thieves are still in business?" Ann asked. Akira smiled, pocketing his phone.

"We won't know until we know," he said simply. The rest of the team deflated, knowing his words were true.

"Guess we'll have to postpone our little celebration party until we have something to celebrate," Ann grumbled, crossing her arms. She leaned against the wall.

"Well, I guess it isn't so far away," Yang sighed. "What are we supposed to do until then, though?"

Akira looked to Morgana, who shook his head. He shrugged. "Nothing. Just live a normal life until then."

"Man, you sure know how to take the fun out of it all," Ryuji laid his torso over a table, groaning.

"I'm just being practical," Akira protested lightly.

"You're right," Yang put a hand on her hip.

Ruby met Akira's eyes. She knew, just as he did, that their plan had worked. There was little doubt about it, a bone deep feeling that she knew he shared. But he was right. They would have to see it to believe it.

The Phantom Thieves went back home, their recent victory soured by the reality of time.

But that was the thing about time. It kept going along.

* * *

**4/23 - Friday Evening**

Yang didn't hear much else besides her music, loud in her ears. She pumped her legs as she continued her jog. Inokashira park was pretty empty at this time of night. Yang had decided to try to keep up her physical training, in light of their escape from the palace. She was slower than she would've liked, even if she kept pace with the others. Ruby had sped past them all, along with Ryuji. Much as Yang gave her grief sometimes about her diet, it seemed her little sister was in perfect shape. Vaguely, she wondered what would have happened if the track team hadn't disbanded after all.

Idle thoughts for another time. For now, Yang just focused on her breathing and her legs pumping, and the blazing tempo of her music. It felt a little exhilarating. It was good to just get her mind off... everything. Blake was still distant, school was still mind-numbing, and there was no use in worrying about Kamoshida.

Her dad had always told her that her hair would turn grey if she kept on worrying all the time. It had scared Yang when she was younger- she had taken particular pride in her long, blonde mane. She shared it with her father. The thought turned sour in her mind. How could she not worry about all these things? The times after her mom had died, taking care of Ruby by herself, Yang wondered if he was too deep in his grief to worry about his children. Yang thought about her birth mother. Did she worry? It seemed that the only person in her life who had worried after her was Summer and Blake.

Yang pumped her legs harder.

Where were they now, huh?

Yang lost her footing on a small pebble, and she went down like a sack of potatoes. Her knees and arms were scraped, and she felt the punch of a couple bruises beginning to form on her shoulder and arm.

Yang flipped over to her back, taking off her earphones. She panted and watched the night sky overhead.

Dammit.

Yang sat up, pressing her knees to her chest and hanging her head.

So much for taking her mind off. She sat there for a while.

She heard some noise from a little ways away. Yang perked her head up, listening. It sounded like two voices. She couldn't quite make it out, but she thought it sounded like they were arguing.

Yang got up. She started creeping off the path, towards the underbrush where the voices were. She stepped lightly.

They started getting clearer. The two were clearly arguing.

"Dammit, you must be out of your goddamned mind if you think I'm going to help you track down some high school kid," a gruff, deep voice stated angrily. Yang peered through bushes. She couldn't make out their faces.

"You owe me," the other voice said, low and dangerous. Yang's heart beat loud in her ears. Did she recognize that voice? It couldn't be.

"Not for this, asshole," the first man (he was wearing a green army jacket- Yang couldn't see much else) growled.

"Iwai," the other man said, his voice firm and threatening. No. No, it couldn't be.

"Fuck you," Iwai said. "Find somebody else to do your dirty work, you goddamn sicko."

"You know that isn't how it works," he said.

Iwai was silent for a moment. "You're deranged. You do whatever you want to do. Just leave me the fuck out of it."

With that, Iwai left. Yang crept back out the underbrush.

It was just in her head, right? There was no way that was-

He was looking for a high school student. But this was Tokyo. There were a million high schoolers. Maybe this was some trouble kid, someone in a gang or something. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with Blake.

The pieces lined up. Yang looked for all the ways it didn't, because she didn't want it to.

Yang pulled out her phone. She had to talk to Blake.

She didn't pick up. The phone rang to voicemail. Yang cursed and put her phone away. She took a deep breath and started walking, her mind abuzz. She needed to do something, and soon.

Yang pulled her phone back out. She stared at the app that had just found itself there. The meta-verse navigator.

The beginnings of a plan started to form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Persona 4 Golden was so fucking good. Except the dungeon crawling. That made me want to spit.


	17. Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Yang find their new mission.

**4/24 - Saturday After School**

Ruby waved goodbye to Weiss as she headed off to the student council room, for more top secret student council stuff. She and Makoto Nijima had been hanging out more and more, working together on their mystery project. Ruby would have mustered up the will to be more jealous, but honestly she was just happy to see Weiss happy.

She rubbed at her bridge of her nose.

Now here was the hard part.

Yang had told her the whole situation yesterday.

Today, they were going to try to talk to Blake about it... and possibly try to find if Adam Taurus had a palace, and if he did, try to change his heart.

This whole thing was mired in murky waters. It made Ruby's head spin, not to mention her heart hurt.

Ruby shouldered her bag. She wasn't ever directly involved with Blake's relationship with Adam, not the way Yang was, but Blake was as good as family to her. Since she and Weiss had entered high school, it was always the four of them. Ruby would have gotten Weiss involved in this too, but, well. Phantom Thievery was not for the faint of heart.

Ruby huffed a breath. Who was she kidding. Weiss would probably make a great Phantom Thief. Spirit of rebellion, right? Perfectly Weiss.

Ruby trudged up to the rooftop.

She was the first one there. Ruby placed her bag on a table and went to examine the plants again. She stroked a leaf.

"Wonder who's taking care of you?" Ruby murmured. To her, taking care of these plants was a perfect act of good. It made her happy to see it exist in Shujin. Despite her beliefs, that good existed, what she had seen from Kamoshida, even at the end, made her falter. The medal she had gotten from their escapade was sitting in a drawer in her desk. If Adam did have a palace, she wondered what the treasure would be.

The door to the roof opened. Yang and Blake appeared, the latter looking a little worse for wear. The dark circles under her eyes were pronounced, and her hair was messier than Ruby had ever seen before. Ruby held her hands behind her back and smiled.

"Heya," Ruby greeted. Blake looked at her, then back to Yang. She crossed her arms, the perfect picture of stubborn.

"What are you trying to pull?" she asked Yang. The blonde closed the door behind her and shrugged easily. She took a seat on a table.

"Like I said- just wanna talk," Yang said.

Blake scowled. She leaned against the wall, keeping her arms crossed. Yang brought her legs up, sitting cross legged.

"We're worried about you, Blake," Ruby began. The older girl scoffed. Ruby frowned.

"I'm fine," she ground out.

"You don't look fine," Yang said. Blake glared at her.

"I'm. Fine," she said, her tone indicating no room for argument. Ruby wished Crescent Rose was still here. It hurt her to see Blake like this. She could only imagine how Yang felt.

"We're worried about you," Ruby repeated. Blake closed her eyes, screwing up her face.

"I heard you the first time, Ruby," Blake snapped at her.

"Adam's back, isn't he?" Yang asked. Blake's eyes shot open.

"Who told you that?" she asked hotly.

"Nobody. And nobody had to," Yang said. Her violet eyes bore into Blake. "You think I wouldn't figure it out? Gimme a little credit."

Blake sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You need to stay out of it."

Yang rolled her eyes. "That train left the station a couple years and bloody knuckles ago," she said. Blake held her tension high and tight. She sighed, and deflated.

"Yang, Ruby. I promise, you two need to just... leave it alone," Blake said, her voice low.

"How could we?" Ruby said.

"For your own good!" Blake snapped. "This doesn't involve you. Either of you! I'm fine, and you guys don't need to worry about me."

"Blake," Yang started. "I saw him yesterday."

Blake's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" she said, her voice a half whisper.

Yang explained the events of her run yesterday. Blake listened in silence.

"Dammit," she said, her voice trembling. Yang got up off the table, walked over to Blake, and enveloped her in a hug.

Blake pulled away. She rubbed at her eyes. "You guys don't understand. Yang. This isn't like before. Adam is... dangerous. I can't allow you to get involved in this. Either of you."

"We could go to the authorities, somebody could help you," Ruby said. Blake laughed weakly.

"Don't you think I already tried?" Blake asked. She sniffled, looking at the ground. "I was basically laughed out of the station. They said I didn't have enough grounds to report anything."

Blake shook her head. "No. This is just something that I have to deal with alone," she looked back up at the two sisters, defiance shining in her eyes. "I'm serious. Please just leave it alone, okay? I'll be okay. I promise."

Yang stared at her, hard. Ruby already knew what her sister was thinking. This was definitely something meta-verse worthy. Seeing how Blake was. There was really no other choice.

"We can help," Ruby said, her voice a desperate plea. Yang turned to look at Ruby.

"Ruby?" she asked. Ruby opened and closed her mouth, looking back and forth from Yang and Blake. She finally just shut her mouth.

"I've got to go," Blake finally mumbled after a pregnant pause. She turned away, heading out the door and downstairs without a glance back.

Yang pulled her phone out as soon as she left. She thumbed over to the meta-verse navigator app.

"Please input destination," the app chirped.

"Adam Taurus," Yang said, her voice holding a hard edge.

"Palace detected. Please input location and distortion," it chirped back.

"Palace detected," Yang echoed. She shoved the phone in Ruby's face. "Palace detected! Ruby, we- we have to!" Yang practically cried out.

"Yang," Ruby said, gently as she could. Yang withdrew her phone, shaking her head.

"No, no, no. We have to do this. You _wanted_ to do it, too. You saw her, right? There's no way we can just... sit back and do nothing," Yang returned to her phone, looking at the blinking cursor.

"I'm not saying that," Ruby said.

"So then why aren't we in his castle right now?!" Yang kicked a table.

"Yang!" Ruby exclaimed.

Yang flipped the table over in a swift motion. "God dammit!" she screamed.

"Stop it, Yang!" Ruby cried out.

Yang stood there, breath heaving her body. She dropped her phone, then sank to the floor. She brought her legs up to her chest, hugging them tight. Yang started crying. Ruby sat next to her sister and hugged her. They stayed there for a while. Ruby rubbed small circles on Yang's back as she sobbed. She collected herself after a bit, her breathing slowly returning to normal.

"You better now?" Ruby asked softly. Yang nodded, sniffling. "C'mon, hon."

Yang looked at Ruby, a small smile on her face on hearing the little nickname. It was usually her line to comfort her little sister.

"When did you go and get so grown up?" Yang asked, her laugh weak and wet. Ruby kissed her on the cheek.

"I had a good role model growing up," Ruby said.

"I'd be glad to meet her right about now," Yang wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks. She sighed.

"I'm sure we got a mirror around here somewhere," Ruby shot back. Yang flicked her forehead.

"What do you think?" Yang asked. Ruby reached over and retrieved Yang's phone, inspecting it for any major damage. She unlocked it and thumbed over to the meta-verse navigator. Adam's name was there, all they needed now was the location and the distortion.

Ruby tried her best to process this all, piece by piece.

First, to do this, they'd be going behind Blake's back. Technically they went behind everybody's back whenever they did any Phantom Thievery, but still. This was Blake. If they did manage to change Adam's heart, what was going to happen with Blake?

The second thing was, well, this wasn't exactly a full Phantom Thieves matter. Ruby thought about Akira, Ann and Ryuji. None of them knew Blake, or Adam. They had agreed on targeting Kamoshida because each and every one of them had suffered under him, but this was a matter that was far more personal. Ruby bit her lip, flickering a glance at Yang. No. If they had to do this, this would be between the two of them only.

The thought made her guts coil.

"You want to do this," Ruby said, more fact than question. "I do, too."

"We shouldn't bring the others into it," Yang said, echoing her thoughts. "It's not about them."

Ruby didn't like the idea of cutting them out. She didn't like the idea of bringing them into a messy, personal thing either.

Screw it. Ruby crossed the threshold in her mind. This wasn't for the others. It felt wrong, deep in her heart, but practicality won out against morality.

"We need information. We have to find out a location and distortion," Ruby looked back at the phone.

"What does that even mean?" Yang asked. Ruby pressed her mouth in a hard line, thinking.

"Well. Kamoshida's was that he thought of Shujin as his castle," Ruby said. "So it stands to reason that we have to find the place that he frequents, and what he thinks it to be."

Yang groaned. "Well how are we going to find that out?"

Ruby stood up and started pacing. They had two leads- whoever this Iwai was, and Blake herself. She didn't know any Iwais, and she wouldn't even know where to begin looking for him, so they'd have to go with Blake.

Ruby sighed. Blake had made herself explicitly clear. She didn't want them to interfere with this. How were they going to use her to find out information?

Ruby furrowed her brow.

"Our only real lead is Blake," Ruby said. Yang nodded. "But we can't exactly ask her for info- she might not even know, herself."

"Well. Ann and I decided to tail you guys to find out what you were doing," Yang suggested.

"Maybe we can do that," Ruby sat on the table, her mind still running. "What do you really know about Adam?" Ruby asked. Yang frowned.

"Not all that much. He's angry, he's possessive. He thinks of Blake as his property. Before I fought with him and scared him off for a while, he was constantly trying to isolate Blake and turn her on all her friends and family," Yang said.

"Anything before Blake?"

"Well, apparently he had a history of doing this to other girls too, though I don't think it's to the extent that he's obsessing over Blake with. He's entitled. He thinks he deserves everything that he wants," Yang grew more frustrated as she spoke. "God, he's such an asshole! Now he's trying to find Blake again. He doesn't even see her as a person! He's like, some stupid, egomaniacal, narcissistic zoo keeper that sees his girls as his personal pets or-"

"Distortion accepted," Yang's phone chimed. Yang paused, her eyes wide. Ruby whipped her phone up. It now showed 'Adam Taurus' and 'Zoo', just missing the location. She showed it to Yang excitedly.

"Nailed it, sis!" Ruby said.

"Are you serious? That's great, but what a dick..." Yang shook her head.

"Alright, now all we just need to do is find his preferred location," Ruby said, tapping a finger on her lip. "No way we can just play a guessing game with it."

Yang took her phone back, staring at the navigator. She sighed again. "Guess so. I'll try to trail Blake a bit, see if anything comes of it. Meanwhile, we'll just keep this between us, yeah?"

Ruby ignored the feeling in her gut. "Yeah. We'll save Blake, Yang."

"Damn straight," Yang said.

* * *

**4/25 - Sunday Afternoon**

Akira didn't really have plans for the day. He stretched out at his desk, having just finished his homework.

"Done with homework, huh?" Morgana said from his perch on one of the beams above him. Akira nodded. "Got anything else planned for the day?"

Akira whipped out his phone, thumbing through his messages. Nothing much, besides Ryuji sending him some memes and Ann asking him for help with the math homework they were given. He had already responded to both of them. He stood up. It was a lovely day outside.

Akira thought about what Igor and the twins had told him about his relationships and confidants. That he should develop them, because they would help him in his rehabilitation. It was kind of weird for a mystical being like Igor to tell him to go out and make friends to help save the world, but he was kind of right. He wouldn't have taken Kamoshida down without the help of his friends.

So, maybe Akira needed to heed Igor's words. He shuddered to think about what Caroline and Justine would do to him if he didn't. Those batons of theirs didn't look like they were just for play, though they hadn't harmed him just yet. Not yet.

Akira put on his coat. "Might go out for a walk, see where the day takes me. You wanna come with?" he asked Morgana. His tail swished lazily.

"You go on ahead, I think I might just stay here a little while longer," Morgana said, uncharacteristically sedentary. Usually Morgana was chomping at the bit to do any sort of activity. Well. He was a cat after all.

Akira shrugged, grabbed his bag and headed downstairs.

Yang was downstairs, her own homework sprawled out in front of her and a cup of coffee next to her.

Well. He didn't have to travel very far after all.

"Hey," Akira greeted her. There was nobody else in the cafe at the moment. Yang waved a hand weakly in greeting. There was a pencil in her mouth and a fierce look of determination in her eyes. She scribbled something done and shrugged.

"That seems... right," Yang murmured. She turned to look at Akira. "Hey, what are you up to? Didn't realize you were upstairs this whole time."

"Just finished my homework. How's yours going?" Akira asked. Yang shut her notebook.

"About as done as it'll get for now. I'll get Ruby or Weiss to help me with the rest," Yang said, keeping her stuff in her bag. "You heading out?"

Akira nodded. "Was going to go out to Shibuya to get a few things," he said. Yang drank the last of her cold coffee.

"You mind some company? There was a book I wanted to get in central street," Yang asked.

"Not at all," Akira smiled. There you go, Igor. Fostering relationships. Not bad for some locked up trickster.

Yang thanked Sojiro for the coffee and they headed out. Akira promised to be back before late to lock up.

"No cat inside your bag?" Yang asked as they walked to the station.

"Cat's out of the bag," Akira said. Yang snorted a laugh.

"Very good, Kurusu. I'm a sucker for puns," Yang said. Akira smiled easily. Though he didn't have the same instant connection with Yang as he did her sister, he found her company easy. She was an honest, caring person, and she had an easy, teasing humour about her.

"I try," Akira said. Yang hummed.

"So, what do you think? Our big confession going to happen anytime soon?" Yang asked. Akira pressed his lips together.

"He didn't come to school yesterday. Might just have to wait a little longer," Akira said. Yang nodded slowly, but sighed.

"Sorry, we shouldn't just be talking shop. How are you adjusting to the big city life?" Yang gestured around her, to the hustle and bustle of the train station. They boarded the line to Shibuya as the train arrived at the platform.

"It's certainly different," Akira said. "Things move way faster here."

"Guess you wouldn't be used to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. What was it like where you're from?" Yang asked. Akira shrugged.

"The most interesting thing that ever happened was a string of murders in a town fifty miles away a couple years ago," he told her.

"I mean... that sounds interesting," Yang offered. Akira narrowed his eyes.

"It was tragic, but it wasn't even in our town. Things were quiet," he rolled his shoulders. "Makes word travel fast whenever anything did happen. I think that's the only thing that stayed the same since I came here."

Yang offered a sheepish grin. "Guess so, huh?" she nodded in contemplation. Akira brushed some hair from his brow.

They arrived in Shibuya, busy as it always was. Though he didn't want to, Akira was getting used to basically rubbing shoulders with everybody as they passed each other by. It made Akira yearn for the open air, the fields and the emptiness.

"You wanna go do your thing first?" Yang asked as they climbed the stairs out of the station, up to the square. Akira nodded. They crossed the busy streets, making their way out towards central street.

Akira barely spared a glance towards the barred gate that glowed an ethereal blue in the alleyway, Caroline's gaze on him at all times. He beckoned Yang to follow him down towards the gun shop.

"Whoa. This is what you came to do?" Yang quirked a brow. Akira smiled and shrugged at her.

"Where do you think we get our weapons for our other activities?" he shouldered his bag. "Figured it'd be good to get into Iwai's good graces- might be a help down the line."

Yang blinked. "Iwai?" she asked. Her voice was a little low, her expression inquisitive.

"The shop owner," Akira cocked his head towards the shop. He walked in, with Yang in tow.

It was empty, which was the case the last two times Akira and Ryuji had been here. The only person occupying the place was the gruff shop owner, Iwai, who had his legs up on the desk, reading a magazine, his signature lollipop in between his teeth. He grunted as he saw Akira and Yang enter.

"It's you," Iwai said by way of greeting. Akira nodded once. Iwai lowed his legs and leaned forward in his seat. "Got a new blonde in tow this time," he noted lowly. "What do you want now, more guns?"

Akira saw Yang shift on her feet in the corner of his eye. She kept her expression neutral, but he could sense her discomfort. Maybe she wasn't used to these kinds of things?

"Maybe," Akira said, walking around to inspect a few model weapons on display. "But I might not be able to afford all the nice ones," he said. Iwai crossed his arms, his gaze even on the younger man.

"Tough shit," he said, taking his lollipop out of his mouth. Akira set his mouth in a hard line. Iwai stared him down, the perked up as he spotted two men in suits approaching the alleyway where the shop was from the windows. He grunted, then turned back to Akira. "Maybe there is something we can do," he said, producing a brown paper bag from under the counter and shoving it into Akira's hands. "You gonna do me a solid, kid?"

Akira turned his head slightly to look at Yang, who just looked at him in mild bemusement. He tilted his chin in slight question, and Yang nodded in response. Akira smirked at Iwai, holding the brown paper bag up.

"Keep it, don't look inside it, and get out of here. I'll owe you a favour," Iwai said. Akira nodded, stuffing the paper bag in his own shoulder bag.

The bell above the door rang as the two men in suits barged into the shop. They looked like the meant business, barely sparing a glance at Akira and Yang.

"Munehisa Iwai," one of them said, arms crossed. "We know you're involved."

Iwai put his lollipop back in his mouth. "Got a warrant, officer?" he asked dryly. The other man scoffed, then finally took notice of Akira and Yang, who were sidling up to the door by then.

"You got kids working for you now, Iwai?" he asked.

"They're customers. And I'd expect that hassling customers is below your pay grade, so just leave 'em alone," Iwai stared the two down. "Get out of here," he told Akira.

He wasn't going to argue. The less he interacted with law enforcement, the better.

Yang left, with Akira in tow. They walked in silence for a while as they exited the alleyway.

"Um... Holy shit," Yang said after a while. She turned to face Akira. "Is this... how you planned your day going?"

Akira adjusted his glasses and sighed. "Honestly after ending up at Kamoshida's castle on the first day of school, I'm ready for life to throw any surprises it has at me."

"Yeah, but," Yang chewed on her thumbnail. "Man, that was weird. So, what's inside the bag?" she asked. Akira blinked at her.

"He told me not to look inside," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, now we're suddenly big fans of following orders?" Yang snorted. Akira frowned. She was right.

"Well, in any case I don't want to look at it in the middle of central street," he said. Yang nodded, conceding.

"Iwai seems to be a... character. Do you think he's like... a bad guy?" Yang asked. They rounded the corner into the bookshop Yang was looking for. Akira hummed in thought.

"Maybe. I don't think so, from what I've seen," Akira said.

"Do you even believe in bad people?" Yang asked. Akira followed her down the aisles, picking at book spines that interested him. He thought about Ruby, her wavering faith and beliefs.

"I think we've kind of experienced the depths of bad," Akira said. Yang huffed out a laugh.

"Yeah, but do you believe anybody's ever bad, just because they're a bad person? Like they might be the main character in their own story, but they're hundred percent the villain?" Yang piled a couple books in her arms.

"I don't know. I guess, maybe. But I think people have the capacity to change," Akira looked at Yang with a little lopsided smile. "I hope."

"Good hope to have, Kurusu," Yang said, hefting a couple more books into a corner to sort through them. "Here, help me decide which books to get."

They spent time at the bookstore until it was evening.


	18. Head First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was a simple mission, in theory anyway.

**4/26 - Monday After School**

Yang had but one purpose.

Information. From Iwai.

She tugged at her blazer as she walked Central Street. This wasn't the best of ideas at the worst of times, but it was all she had to go on. Yang chewed her bottom lip as she neared the alleyway, to where the neon green sign in front read 'Untouchable'.

Yang blew out a breath and shouldered her bag. Just a friendly little chat. That was all. She hadn't told Ruby about this lead yet. She didn't want her sister to worry about her. Besides, she had to get this done before she lost her nerve, and Ruby hemming and hawing about whether or not it was a good idea was a surefire way for Yang to do something stupid and rational like think this through.

No, Yang needed to do it, and she needed to do it immediately.

Yang pushed through the door, into the shop. Iwai was at his usual spot, feet up on the counter and magazine in hand. He barely bothered to peek over to look at Yang, but his expression changed slightly when he did. He frowned just a bit deeper.

Nobody else was in the store, which gave Yang a little bit more courage to walk up to the counter.

"Blondie," Iwai greeted tersely. "You were here yesterday, with that other kid."

He spoke with a vague irritation, all hard edges and gruff tones. Yang crossed her arms, hoping to seem as tough as she could be. She had mentally calculated, and if it really did come down to it, she thought she stood a fair chance in a fight with him.

"I was," Yang replied in a clipped tone of her own. Iwai stared at her, shifting his lollipop from one side of his mouth to another. She stood her ground as he assessed her, slow and calculating.

"What do you want?" Iwai asked, irritation lacing through every word. Yang tilted her head and smirked.

"That how you talk to customers?" Yang asked.

"No, but I don't think you're here to buy anything," Iwai stood up and took the lollipop out of his mouth.

Yang uncrossed her arms, shrugging. "That's fair. I'm Yang Xiao Long."

"Iwai."

Yang stared at him with blazing eyes. "I need information about Adam Taurus," she said. Iwai didn't change his expression, just leaned forward slowly to put his forearms on the glass counter. He regarded Yang with a critical eye.

They stood there in silence for a while. Yang resisted the urge to fidget under his gaze. They were lucky nobody else walked into the shop.

"You a friend of his?" Iwai asked. He stood up straight, stuffing a hand into a pocket of his green army coat. His expression remained impassive as his body tensed slightly. Yang instinctively did the same in response, and she forced her body to stay still.

"No," Yang said. Iwai made a little affirmative grunt, apparently satisfied with her answer. Well. That was quick.

"Then you should stay the hell away from him," he said. Yang sighed. Same story, different person. Sure, they didn't know what superhuman feats she was capable of in the meta-verse, but Yang Xiao Long had two perfectly good guns on her at any given moment. She silently flexed her biceps a little bit. Bip, Bap.

"He's threatening a friend of mine," Yang told him. There was no use mincing words, she doubted he would appreciate it anyway. Iwai narrowed his eyes.

"You a high schooler?" Iwai asked. Yang nodded. "Your friend a..."

"High school," Yang said. Iwai shut his eyes, running a hand over his face.

"Shit," he said.

"Yeah," Yang replied.

"What are you going to do?" Iwai asked, a hand on his hip and a tired expression on his face. Yang shrugged.

"Whatever I need to," she said.

"You're a brave one, I'll give you that," Iwai said. He shook his head. "Goddamn high school kids, be the death of me one day, I swear," Iwai mumbled.

He sighed.

"Fine."

Yang walked away with a full meta-nav. She shot Ruby a text as she boarded the train home. The next part of the plan was coming together.

* * *

**4/27 - Tuesday After School**

Ruby felt like things escalated quickly.

"Yang, you _didn't_ ," Ruby breathed as she felt the air shift.

Because the moment they finished school, Yang had dragged her along somewhere. One minute Yang was telling her about the meta-nav, they were walking to Adam's residence, and the next minute, they were in a cage with some distorted version of a lion. It looked malnourished, it looked angry, and it had some poor woman's face.

"Afraid so," Yang had replied.

Naturally, it leapt into action, trying to kill her and Yang.

Yang had been the one to put her down.

A column of fire shot up from the ground under the lion, incinerating it. It dissolved instantly. Ruby caught her breath.

Yeah. Escalated quickly.

"Holy shit," Yang wiped some sweat from her brow as Ember Celica disappeared in a flash of blue. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"I already hate this. I already hate this! Next time, you let me press on the nav! We should have brought Akira along or something," Ruby leaned on her scythe. Yang shook her head.

"No way. We agreed," she put her hands on her hips. Ruby stood up straight, sighing.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Come on, let's go find a map, or get to high ground or something."

They broke out of the cage pretty easily. What could they say? The Rose-Xiao Longs were not much for being locked up. They walked around cautious, careful to not get ambushed anymore. Ruby noticed two things.

First, was that besides what was actually being kept in the cages, the places seemed fairly... normal. Normal, in that there wasn't much distortion in the architecture and stuff. It unsettled Ruby. It seemed to her that it wasn't that Adam had a different grasp on reality, as Kamoshida did. It was like he knew perfectly fine what he was doing, who and where he was. He just continued to do it. The thought angered and sickened Ruby in equal measures. She couldn't imagine how Yang was feeling.

The second thing was that this place was actually... kind of small. Kamoshida's place had been a full on castle, so maybe she had been expecting something on a similar scale. But as it was, it was just kind of a small zoo. Ruby noticed there were a couple boarded up doors and entrances. She wondered if this was indicative of how distorted his heart was.

They found a map at an abandoned information booth. The park was circular in design, with winding paths that all centered in on the biggest exhibit, right in the middle. The map didn't provide much more information than that, encouraging its visitors to look at the animal exhibits themselves. God, what a tool. Ruby folded up the map and tucked it into her belt.

"So, treasure has to be in the middle, right?" Yang asked. Ruby shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Ruby ran a hand through her hair. "But, knowing what a dick he is- yeah, probably."

"Hey," Yang nudged Ruby. "Walk in the park, right?"

Ruby groaned.

It was not. A walk. In the park.

Ruby held her weapon tight as they continued on the path. There was no shortcut to get to where they were going, just the one stupid path. And funnily enough, almost every exhibit they passed by would just have the animal bust out of their cage and attack Yang and Ruby. They handled themselves easy enough, but each one was a little harder. At the rate they were going, they were going to be totally wiped once they got to the treasure.

Ruby constantly scanned her surroundings as they went along. Sometimes the things in the cages weren't aggressive. Sometimes they just sat there, a blank expression on their face. Birds with broken wings and human faces sat and stared, and Ruby didn't want to know, couldn't bring herself to know. Yang just set her face in a grim line and pressed on. She hadn't spoken much as they passed by the exhibits. Ruby knew she was just on the lookout for Blake's. Each exhibit had names. Not of the type of animal.

Every time they vanquished a distorted shadow, they had a name to associate it with.

Ruby touched her mask, hoping Crescent Rose would grant her a bit of strength. More than she had already, anyway.

They pressed forward.

* * *

**4/27 - Tuesday Afternoon**

Every cell in Blake's body resisted. Every thought in her head screamed out that this was wrong. That there had to be another way. Vaguely, she thought this was what people on death row must feel when they marched to the gallows.

She was giving in.

Why?

Adam had coerced her, texting her again and again. He promised her lots of things. When that didn't work, he had threatened her. When that didn't work either, he'd gone on to threaten her friends and family.

Blake's heart thumped a panic beat against her ribs. How had things gotten so out of hand?

Adam was always obsessive, and he had a trail of bodies longer than he cared to remember. But now, this was on a whole new level. Blake hadn't know what she had seen in him then. Now, if she didn't comply, it would be the people she loved that would have to pay the price.

Blake thought about that night Yang had saved her, the last time she had seen Adam. She remembered struggling, kicking and screaming with nobody there to save her.

Until Yang had found her, had beaten him, hit as hard as she got hit.

God. And now she was back. All Yang did, for nothing. Blake felt her lip tremble. She didn't want to see her get hurt again. Not for her.

Nobody passing by her on the street thought to stop her, to reach out to her and shake her out of this twisted dream she was having. She was a ghost, gliding through the streets.

Blake looked at her phone. Her lock screen was still a photo of her, Yang, Ruby and Weiss at Christmas, gathered together on the couch with Christmas hats and hot chocolate. It almost physically hurt to see them. She wished, wished beyond hope and reason, that Yang was here to save her.

That thought dispelled itself immediately, twisting and deforming into anger, to scream at her, that this was her own fault. Yang and Ruby had already tried to help her, and she pushed them away, like she always did. Blake was good at that. Came naturally to her, she supposed.

She was just blocks away from Adam's place.

He had done it. Mentally, Blake congratulated him. For wearing her down, for threatening and cajoling and scaring her into having no other choice but to come at his call. She blinked back the tears that threatened to well up.

You made your bed, Belladonna. Damn well lie in it.

Blake checked her phone once more.

Yang, Yang, Yang.

God.

A red eye icon appeared on the screen.

Blake furrowed her brows.

It grew larger, occupying her whole screen.

Then the world shifted.

And Blake wasn't on the street anymore.

* * *

**4/27 - Tuesday Afternoon**

So. Maybe Ruby was right. They might have needed Akira and the rest of the team.

They were almost there, sure, but boy did Yang feel it. It was like she was dragging lead weights on her limbs. She could barely take a couple steps before her breath started heaving. Ruby was faring better, but not by much. Maybe she had been a little too eager with all those fire spells.

Morgana had warned them. The danger was real. Cognitive world or not, if they fell, that was it.

Yang did not intend to fall, and she had no inklings that Ruby did either, but she had sure as shit put them in a prime position to do so. She thought about Ember Celica's words when she had awoken to her Persona. So much for protecting.

"How are you holding up, Gold?" Ruby asked. Yang smiled and shook her hands off.

"Peaches," she lied through her teeth. She knew it, Ruby knew it, but it didn't matter. They knew what mattered. Last stretch. Yang could feel it.

"Maybe we should regroup and come back another day," Ruby said. "We don't have to get it done now."

Yang sighed. "Every day we let Adam go free is another day Blake is in danger."

Ruby kept silent. Yang paused, assessing their surroundings. She didn't sense any immediate danger, so she collapsed herself on the floor, sitting cross legged and breathing heavily. Ruby followed suit, keeping her back to Yang's.

"I'm sorry," Yang said, peeling her mask off. She felt Ruby breathe out a laugh.

"You've got nothing to be sorry about," Ruby said. Yang squeezed her eyes shut.

"I made us rush in here without preparing first, and we're- yeah. I'm sorry."

Ruby leaned on Yang. "Do you know what I love about you?"

Yang didn't answer. Ruby took it as a response unto itself.

"You love, so blindingly bright," Ruby said. "It's- sometimes it's really amazing to see. I don't know how you do it. You've done everything for me, without asking for anything in return. I could never thank you enough. And it's the same with Blake, even Weiss. You're the person that just does it," Ruby snapped her fingers. "Just like that. Anything and everything. You protect us, you love us, you make sure we're okay, always, always. Everybody can see it from miles away, the way you love is like a fire in the night."

Yang swallowed thickly to stop the tears. Was this really the little squirt who played with whoopee cushions and broke her baby teeth trying to do a backflip? Dammit. Yang craned her head to look at Ruby. She felt like she had gone and grown up and Yang hadn't even noticed.

"You love Blake," Ruby said, her words simple and clean. Yang brought her legs up to her chest.

"Yeah," she replied just as simply.

"You don't want her to be in danger any second longer than you have to. So we keep moving," Ruby said. Yang felt her shift and stand up. Ruby rounded and appeared right in front of her. She offered her a hand. "Let's get it done, Gold."

Yang took her hand. "Okay, Red."

A scream. Unmistakably familiar, and alarmingly close. Yang's eyes widened at the same time as Ruby's.

"Now we're definitely getting it done," Ruby materialized her scythe and ran forward.


	19. Apparent Retrograde Motion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of course, theory doesn't always end up as clear cut in practice.

**4/27 - Tuesday After School**

Okay, sure. Some people would claim that Ryuji Sakamoto was not the brightest tool in the shed. Or whatever. And they'd be right, he would be appropriately offended, but not all too surprised. Ryuji had never been known for his tact, or his book smarts, or much in the way of emotional intelligence most times.

So people would naturally be drawn to the conclusion that Ryuji just never thought. That all he had between his ears was a quick fist and a dangerous grin. That- that he would resent. Ryuji wasn't any poet, but he had lots of thoughts. Lots of thoughts too big for him to name or describe. Thoughts that were like trying to capture a tornado in a glass jar. A tidal wave in a sippy cup. Worries in a smile.

There, that was it.

Ryuji dug his hands into his pockets and fiddled with the loose change he found.

School had ended, and without much of a plan, other than to wait for Kamoshida to have his actual change of heart, Ryuji found himself without much to do. He walked out of class aimlessly, dragging his feet.

He wasn't sticking around in school, that much was for damn sure, but he wasn't yet too sure where he was going instead.

He idly pulled a coin out of his pocket, held it between his fingers. He positioned it above his thumb and flicked it, producing a satisfying _tink_ as it spun in the air.

He didn't catch it. Ryuji pretty much only knew grace when God granted it on the track. He could outrun a horse, but he would have lost his hands if they weren't attached to his wrist. The coin bounced and rolled on the ground as Ryuji made to go pick it up, the little thing slipping out of his fingers every time he reached out.

Dammit. Idiot.

The coin managed to stop as it bumped into the toe of someone's shoe. Ryuji stopped short and looked up to find tired eyes and a pale face under a curtain of black hair.

Vaguely, he knew her. Ryuji's mind scrambled to place a name to the face. Something with one syllable. Something with a B. Yang and Ruby knew her. Buh- Boo- Bloo?

She reached down to pick up the coin. She wore a black ribbon atop her head. She was a pretty girl, though Ryuji felt like there was colour missing from her.

Blanche- Blonde- Dammit, come on he knew her name.

She offered the coin to him, her expression neutral. Ryuji smiled sheepishly and took it, intending to offer her his thanks.

"Blake," he said instead. That was her name! He grinned triumphantly, then immediately frowned, because that was not what he was supposed to say. She quirked her brow at him. "I- I mean thanks! Thank you, um, Blake," Ryuji spluttered and laughed meekly, the world's biggest foot in his gigantic, accommodating mouth. Way to go, super star.

"You seem to know my name," Blake held her stare high and tight. "Mind sharing yours?"

Ryuji bit his lip. "Ryuji Sakamoto," he said, appropriately embarrassed.

"Well, you're welcome Ryuji Sakamoto," Blake said, wearing a smile-

There, that was it, again.

A million worries hidden behind a smile. Ryuji was no detective, no medium or anything of the sort, but he knew that smile like he knew a closed door. They were bright, always a little too bright, and somehow closed off. He'd seen that smile a million times before. It felt like every woman he really knew in his life wore that smile. His mother, Yang, Ann, even Shiho had given him that smile before.

The thought of Shiho constricts around his throat. Blake's smile was too familiar and too desperate to not want to do something about it.

Honestly, it always tore up his insides to see it. His mom stroking his face and giving him that smile- it made him angry in an irrational, almost primal way. It made him want to rear up and punch into despair, into oblivion, and he wanted to see it reel back, too.

It was slow motion. Blake uncrossed her arms and shouldered her bag and made to walk away and Ryuji had his second chance. No mask, no shotgun, no electricity shooting from his Persona.

"Hey," he said. "Are you okay?"

Honesty and bravery. That was it.

Blake stopped, turned and blinked. Ryuji, though the first edges of embarrasment threatened to level him, to make him take his words back and apologise, stood his ground. Her dark yellow eyes searched his. He pocketed his coin, clammy hands slipping into the comfort of his pockets.

"I'm fine," she said, and her smile came back twice as wide, and it was a lie just like Yang had lied when he had talked to her, and this was supposed to be Yang's best friend and Shiho was supposed to be Ann's best friend too, so.

The parellels crossed his mind, and he couldn't divine up the meaning, but deep in his bones he wanted to help.

"Are you sure?" Ryuji blurted, his forceful heart winning out against his racing mind. Punch first, think later: the Sakamoto way. Blake sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm pretty sure, Sakamoto," Blake said, her face a perfect picture of vague annoyance. Ryuji thought he knew a thing or two about masks, now. He wanted to- what was it that Akira always said when he tore off a shadow's mask- reveal her true form?

But this was the real world. And in the real world, Ryuji Sakamoto couldn't bring his Persona out to shoot lightning. He couldn't beat this with magic and a lead pipe. Blake met his gaze for a heartbeat, and Ryuji couldn't find anything else but to keep silent. She left without another word. He groaned and scratched at his head as soon as she was out of earshot.

Shit. He needed to get better at this.

* * *

**4/27 - Tuesday Afternoon**

It was a bad, bad, bad dream.

Blake didn't know where to begin.

She was in a zoo. At least as far as she could tell? Except the animals weren't animals exactly, they were-

People? Had faces on them? Blake was confused, utterly and completely. She must have collapsed in the real world or something, because she sure as hell wasn't awake right now. Blake took cautious steps, whipping her head about as the things kept in cages tracked her movements, their expressions fierce. The sky was blood red, and the monsters were plentiful, and Blake didn't know where to begin.

She pulled her phone out, and of course it didn't have any signal, because her brain was a master horror writer, and tired cliches were more than justifiable as an excuse. Blake wrapped her arms around herself. She wanted to call out for help, but something told her to keep as quiet as possible.

Her winding path eventually led her to a giant staircase heading down. She could barely make out the end of the path.

Low growls started emanating from some of the cages, making Blake's skin crawl. She stood at the foot of the staircase, her breathing starting to get heavier. Okay, this was officially crossing the line from scary dream into pure nightmare. She slapped herself lightly and sighed. No waking up from this one. She had to just ride it out. She hoped someone had brought her to the hospital in real life.

Blake wasn't looking forward to that conversation. She looked at her phone again. Oh, if she was dreaming, why couldn't she have dreamt something nice about her friends? She wondered if she could summon Yang into the dream. The growls started growing louder. Blake squeezed her eyes shut and thought about Yang really hard.

She opened her eyes. Nothing.

Blake took one step down the stairs. Her chest started feeling tight and her heart beat just a little faster.

She took the next step, and the next, until the light from the blood red sky faded and she was left stumbling down the stairs in the dark.

At the very end was a room, brightly lit with iridescent lights. It had a big window that face inward, into a circus ring of sorts. And in the middle, chained and on her knees-

Blake felt a rough hand grab her from behind, and her world was enveloped into darkness.

* * *

**4/27 - Tuesday Afternoon**

Here it was: a grand staircase leading into an ominous darkness.

Ruby felt her limbs turn to jelly as soon as they dispatched of the last monster. And now there were like a million stairs.

She groaned as she started heading down, Yang by her side, the two of them panting heavily.

"Soon as... we save Blake," Ruby gasped out. "I'm sleeping for a week."

"Goddamn... stairs!" Yang huffed.

So on and so forth. They heard Blake's cries grow louder as they descended. It spurred them on, despite the fatigue they felt deep in their bones. If there was one thing about Ruby and Yang, it was that they could never give up when their friends were on the line.

Ruby held the thought triumphantly, keeping it a low flame that burned itself everlasting. She took a second to gasp a deep breath. Okay, maybe just for until the end of the day.

The reached the landing. Nothing greeted them but an empty room with bleached out lights, and a window into a circus ring, with two blindfolded girls, only one of which was struggling.

"Oh God..." Yang gasped. She threw a fireblast into the window, shattering it to pieces. "Blake!" she called out, leaping out.

"Y-Yang?" came Blake's shuddered reply. Ruby felt her heart start to wrench. Yang flew down the audience stands, stopping to a skid in front of Blake. The other girl, chained and bound, didn't react. Yang untied the blindfold.

"Blake, Blake, we're here," Yang cradled her best friend's face in her hands. Ruby had her scythe out, scanning the stands. There seemed to be no activity.

"Are you real?" Blake sobbed, leaning into Yang's touch. Yang looked at her sister, questions burning behind her eyes.

"We're real," Ruby affirmed, approaching the two. She looked over the other girl in the ring. A dark curtain of hair, with two cat ears atop her head. She looked beaten, though physically unharmed. In fact, she looked downright full of vitality, though her expression was solemn, if peaceful.

No mistaking it, this was Adam's weird cognition of Blake, that sicko. That meant that the real Blake was right here. The question of how she ended up in the meta-verse was something they had to save for later. For now, Ruby and Yang just needed to get out of the place.

"I'm- This is a nightmare," Blake shook her head, her whole form trembling, even as Yang held her close, stroking her back.

"You've always been a good liar, Blake," a voice, snarling and hateful came from the shadows. A floodlight suddenly illuminated, revealing Adam Taurus at the top of the audience stands. His face was obscured, a white mask over his eyes, with red horns protruding from his head. His attire was fancy, downright regal, adorned in a red and black jacket.

Blake clutched Yang's jacket tighter, her eyes widened in pure fear. Ruby stood up and brandished her scythe. Adam barely acknowledged her.

"You love to say how much you hate me, how much you don't want me around, but at the end of the day," Adam continued his slow jaunt, coming into the centre of the stage and kneeling down near the other Blake. She lifted her head and looked at Adam with sickening, yellow eyes, and a look of adoration that felt wrong to Ruby's core. He crooned and tilted her chin up with a finger, a sick smile on his face. "You're going to come crawling back to me."

"You're delusional. She wants nothing to do with you. Just leave her alone," Yang growled, pulling Blake to her feet and backing away. Ruby positioned herself between them and him. Adam chuckled and shook his head. He reached over to unchain the cognitive Blake.

"I know her. Better than you do. Better than she does herself," Adam murmured. The other Blake stood up, standing by Adam's side.

"I adore him. I push people away when I care about them," she said, her voice a twisted echo of Blake's.

"N-no," Blake gasped.

"It's why I abandoned Yang when I first met Adam. It's why I push him away now. I'm simply afraid of how I feel. But I'll come back. I always come back. I'll never run away again," Blake laughed, something airy and ominous. "How could I? Adam understands me. Nobody else does. Nobody else knows how broken I am. How selfish, and stupid, and miserable I truly am. Nobody but Adam. I love him," she narrowed her eyes and her stare pierced into the real Blake. "Isn't that right?"

Blake sobbed, her tears dripping down her cheeks. Ruby readied her scythe.

"You've got one twisted mind," Ruby snarled. Adam frowned, then brandished a sword, blood red and as long as she was. He shoved the cognitive Blake away roughly. Ruby didn't back down. "You're depraved. You don't know what love is."

Adam rushed forward, his sword connecting with Ruby's scythe. She almost buckled from the clash. He was strong, and Ruby wasn't in top form at the moment.

"Get her out of here!" Ruby told Yang. She tore her mask off as she leapt back from a sword slash. Crescent Rose materialized behind her, a hand shooting out from underneath the red cloak.

"Eiha!" Ruby cried out, as a mass of black and red shot out from her Persona, connecting with Adam's shoulder and sending him stumbling back. He recovered quickly, looking thoroughly undeterred. He smirked, letting his sword fall and raising his other hand. He snapped his fingers.

"You little shits aren't worth my time," he snarled. A thousand cries, hungry and angry and snarling, resounded off the concrete walls, bouncing and amplifying themselves. Ruby felt the fear in her start to swell. One on one, maybe she had a chance. Not so much in a fifty on one. She twirled her scythe, putting herself in a defensive stance as she started to scan her surroundings. She could sense the shadows approaching. Hell. If this was it, Ruby Rose sure as hell wasn't going to go down without putting up a fight. She steeled herself.

Be the lightning.

* * *

**4/27 - Tuesday Afternoon**

No. No, no, no. Blake couldn't believe... any of it. It felt like all her senses were betraying her. She felt like her mind was betraying her. There was no way this was happening. Yang pulled her to the relative safety of the upper landing where she had first ended up after descending the staircase. The window was broken, and she could see Ruby locked in battle with Adam.

This was it, her worst nightmare.

Yang set her down and rushed over to the window.

"I have to help her," she breathed, making to jump out of the window before she hesitated, looking back at Blake.

"Don't," was all Blake could gasp out. "Don't leave me," she more whispered than said. Yang ducked down to face her.

"I'm never going to leave you, Blake Belladonna," Yang said, her voice about the only real thing Blake knew. "I need to help Ruby. You'll be okay, and I'll be right back. I swear."

And she left, the wind in her wake. Blake had never found the emptiness of a room quite as mournful as it was now.

Alone. The words that her... other self had hissed, treacherous and venomous, snaked its way back into her mind. They coiled themselves around her heart, threatening to crush it completely. No, there was no way this was true. Not a single word of it.

The thought rang hollow in her head. She heard the sounds of growls and cries outside the room. Blake sat alone and cried and cried, wishing it would all end and she would wake up. Willing herself to erase the whole situation over.

She wished she hadn't met Adam. Wished she hadn't relied on him so hard as she did. Wished Yang hadn't had to save her.

"You're pathetic," she heard a familiar voice call out. Blake whipped her head up. It was her. The other her. Familiar and twisted. Her eyes shone a bright yellow, she stood at the doorway, hunched and shivering, but with the shine of a fight in her eyes.

"You're... not real," Blake whispered, a pained sound. Her counterpart barked a short, sharp laugh.

"When's it going to go through that thick skull of yours? I am real. I'm real to him," she jabbed a finger angrily outside. She took a trembling step towards Blake. "This is who he thinks I am. You are."

"He's sick," Blake shuddered a gasp. She wiped her tears, curling up into herself even closer. "He doesn't know-"

"He doesn't know?" her other took another step. "He knows all he needs to."

"No!"

"You are his! Always!"

Blake shot up. "I am _not_!"

The other Blake smiled. She walked towards the broken window, beckoning Blake to look through. She saw Ruby and Yang, fighting in a flurry of movement and attacks. Dozens of animals surrounded them, lunging and biting them from all over. They were putting up a fierce fight, but it was clear to Blake that it was a losing one.

Her heart constricted once more.

"Your friends are fighting for you. Your friends are dying for you," the other Blake said, her voice something close to mournful.

"I... don't know what to do," Blake said, her voice wavering.

"You have a choice to make," her counterpart said.

_Stop running._

It was a voice inside her head, the clearest one she'd ever heard. It felt familiar and it felt right. The words imprinted themselves in her mind, repeating over and over in a cacaphony of noise. She knew.

Blake looked to her. Then she stepped out of the room.

"Adam!" Blake screamed over the sounds of fighting. Yang and Ruby looked at her, surprised. The animals all stilled their movements. Adam, in the stands, stared at her with his singular gaze. Her other trailed behind her slowly.

All eyes were on her. Blake could feel herself trembling. Every step she took threatened to knock the wind out from her. Her body wanted to rebel against her. She steeled herself.

"Blake," Adam said, grin on his face. "Come to reconsider? You'll always have a place by my side. I'll even spare these two, as a show of good faith."

Blake walked down the stands. The monsters parted to make way for her. Even if she had never been more afraid in her life, she didn't falter.

"No," Blake said. She stood next to Yang and Ruby. "Never."

She looked at Yang. Something in her cracked, and suddenly the world split, the floor fell out from under her.

That voice came back to her. Clearer and louder and more painful now. It was fire, bright and blue and blazing, but it was a purifying kind of flame. Blake clutched her head, but made no noise, determined to see it through.

_She needs you. They need you._

Yang and Ruby. She wouldn't let Adam take them. No way.

_You cannot abandon her. You must not. Do not be afraid, do not run away. Rise up from the shadows, face it, fight it. Bear the weight of the past, my strength is your own._

The pain stopped. Blake breathed heavily. She looked to Adam again.

"I understand," Blake said. A mask appeared on her face. Blake knew its shape and colour like she had known her own heart. She gripped the side of it. The first tug pulled along the top layer of skin with it. She didn't hesitate. Blake pulled, a single motion that brought blood and a bright spark of blue. A spark that ignited a flame.

_I am thou, Thou art I. Awaken, reclaim your destiny! Rise!_

From behind, her Persona arose. A figure Blake knew. Wrapped in cloth and chains and vibrating with potential ready to be unleashed, a supersonic bullet eager to be loosed from its chamber.

"Gambol Shroud," Blake spoke softly. "Take them down."

A few monsters fell in an explosion of blue. Blake had never felt power like this before, the quick sting and zap of pure energy flowing from her Persona, absolute life and destruction in the palm of her hands.

Even Adam had the good sense to look afraid. She thought that was a good look for him.

"Hell yeah!" Yang rushed up beside her, assuming a fighting stance. Blake felt the short sword that had manifested in her hands, its solid weight and presence a comfort not unlike her Persona. "Let's do this!"

Ruby flanked her other side, a wicked smile on her face, mirroring her sister's. A quick nod, and they all dove into the fray, an exhilarating and frightful fight before them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, so i just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's enjoyed this story thus far! i'm always honored if even one person enjoys whatever i write.


	20. Give A Little

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to have a couple of conversations. Ruby dreads her deceptions.

**4/27 - Tuesday Evening**

They had exited the palace not too long afterwards. Adam and the cognitive version of Blake had fled. They weren't the real targets quite yet anyway, and Blake needed a while to catch her breath and get caught up to speed. Yang and Ruby had ushered her out of the meta-verse, promising to explain everything. They brought an exhausted Blake to Yongen, letting her nod off on the train.

It was a good thing their dad was on a night shift, Ruby noted as they went upstairs. Blake all but collapsed onto their couch.

Fair.

She moaned, raising a hand to her face.

"Explanation time," she mumbled, wiping her face and slowly sitting up. Ruby sighed, looking to Yang. As hapless as she looked, Yang also looked excited in equal measures. Ruby shared some of it. Obviously it was awesome. Blake had awakened her inner rebellion and manifested her Persona. She had the means and was soon going to have the knowledge to change Adam's heart.

But boy, oh boy, this was going to be a _conversation_. With Blake, then a worse one with Akira. Now that they had escaped death and gained a new teammate, it was about time to come clean to the rest.

"Oh boy, I'm going to need a drink for this," Ruby rubbed at the back of her neck. She chuckled sheepishly, then sighed. Ruby looked at Yang, and could suddenly sense the expectant thought that bubbled up and stuck in the back of her throat, waiting until they were alone to tell Blake. Ruby rolled her neck. "I'll uh- get us something hot from LeBlanc."

She took a moment to see if they had any protests, and with no arguments, she headed back outside. Ruby took her time to put her shoes on and walk downstairs. She checked her phone. It was still early enough into the evening that LeBlanc would probably still be open. She hoped she didn't have to see Akira there.

Ruby mentally prepared herself for it. She was going to have to come clean to him, but she wanted to be open to everyone else, too.

It wasn't a very long walk to the sleepy little cafe. The bell tinkled as Ruby opened the door and entered. Sojiro was behind the counter, fiddling with his phone. He smiled a little half-smile as he spotted Ruby.

"Miss Rose, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he greeted her warmly. Ruby waved a hand in return, plopping herself down in one of the bar stools.

"Um, two teas and a hot chocolate," Ruby said. She didn't think any of them were really in the mood for a coffee. It would be best for Blake especially to just sleep the day off. Ruby remembered how exhausted she was after her awakening.

"Comin' right up," Sojiro nodded, slipping his phone in his pocket and turning into the kitchen. He wasn't much known for anything but coffee, but Sojiro made them well enough. Ruby liked his hot chocolate anyhow.

Ruby picked at her skirt as she sat in silent contemplation.

"Something on your mind?" Sojiro asked from the kitchen, mixing her hot chocolate up. Kind eyes looked at her from behind glasses that sat low on his nose, and Ruby's heart clenched. For a moment, she wasn't in LeBlanc, she was in Beacon Academy, and-

What?

Ruby gripped the hem of her skirt tight, her heartrate rising.

She plastered on a quick smile for Sojiro. "Sorry, boss, it's just been... kind of a long day," Ruby shrugged.

What the hell was Beacon Academy?

Sojiro let out a little chuckle, and Ruby decided to put that information away for the time being. She could figure it out later.

"Have you ever had to..." Ruby started off, trying to find the right words. "Lie, to a friend?"

Sojiro frowned as he capped one drink, reaching into a cabinet to find the teabags.

"Sometimes," he said. "Not voluntarily. Are we talking something small, like a birthday party you had to keep secret, or something bigger?"

Ruby swallowed. "Bigger. Definitely bigger."

Sojiro made a noise in the back of his throat. "And why are you keeping this particular secret?"

"I... did something that kind of involves them, and I didn't check with them first," Ruby pressed her cheek into her palm.

Sojiro didn't look up from his cup. "Was it the right thing to do?"

Ruby nodded.

"Will they think that, too?"

Ruby pursed her lips. Sojiro placed the cups in their holder on the bar in front of Ruby. He stood silently and awaited her response.

"Yes. I think so," Ruby said. "But I didn't tell-"

"So tell them now," Sojiro raised a hand. "If you care about this person, you'll come clean. And sooner rather than later. And if they care about you, they'll be okay. You did what you thought was best, didn't you?"

Ruby rapped her fingers on the table, processing his words.

"Okay," Ruby said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, reaching for her wallet. Sojiro tutted.

"On the house, Miss Rose. You seem like you need it," he said, crossing his arms and winking. Ruby took the drinks, raising them in thanks.

"Akira's lucky to have you," Ruby said. Sojiro rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Get out of here, you," he shooed her away.

Ruby exited the cafe, in higher spirits than she was before.

Then Akira was there.

Oh. Okay. So, like, _now_ now.

"Ruby," Akira waved a hand in greeting, a smile cocked on his face. "What brings you here?"

"Akira!" Ruby said, just a little too loudly. She swallowed and shifted on her feet. The tiniest thing, but Akira immediately picked up on the change in her vibe.

"You okay?" he asked, voice laced with concern. Dammit. She wanted at least a little hint of suspicion. That might have made this easier. Maybe. Ugh. When Sojiro said it, it seemed like it'd just be a thing to do, snap your fingers, and Akira and everyone else would be okay, totally just fine.

"I... have something to tell you," Ruby said. She used her free hand to scratch at her cheek.

"I'm all ears," he said. Ruby shifted on her feet several times, deciding how best to come out with it. Oh, to hell with it. If she was going to do it, she'd just do it. She knew that Yang knew, too. Ruby sighed.

"Could you come with me? It'd be a little easier to just... show you," she said. Akira stayed silent, but nodded, slipping his hands out of his pockets. Ruby pursed her lips. "Actually, is Morgana in there? He should see this too."

The not-a-cat poked his head out of Akira's bag, answering her question.

Ruby led them to her home. Time to face the music.

"Yang and I... we did something," Ruby turned to face Akira and Morgana as they stood outside the front door. "And... I'm sorry. We should've told you. And everyone else." Ruby entered, beckoning them in.

"Ruby? What took you so-" Yang entered the foyer, her face falling as she spied Akira and Morgana. "Right. I think I see why you took so long. Does he know?"

Ruby shook her head. Yang put a hand on her hip and sighed. "Better to tell him now I guess," Yang pulled Akira into the living room. "Akira, Morgana, meet my best friend: Blake Belladonna."

Blake groggily waved a hand in greeting, then frowned. She gratefully accepted a cup of tea from Ruby. "Morgana? Who's Morgana?"

On cue, Akira's fuzzy companion poked back out of Akira's bag, fully standing on his shoulders. Blake smiled. "Aw. Nice to meet you, Akira. That's a cute cat."

"I'm not a cat," Morgana protested, clicking his tongue in annoyance.

Blake's eyes widened. A heartbeat later, Akira's eyes followed suit as comprehension dawned on him.

"You brought her to the meta-verse?"

"Did that cat just talk?"

Yang took a seat. "We were trying to help her," she said. "She was being targeted by somebody- he had a palace, and Ruby and I went in and-"

"We're not sure how she ended up in it, but she did," Ruby tucked her fingers into the pockets of her blazer and ducked her head.

"Does he- Is Akira a-" Blake fumbled with her words, her brows furrowed in deep concentration. She put her cup of tea away. "The cat talked."

"I am not a cat!" Morgana yowled. Blake pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing.

"I'm going fucking crazy. This is officially it," she mumbled to herself. Akira gave Ruby a hard stare.

"Does she know?"

Phantom Thieves. Ruby knew exactly what he was referring to. She looked to Yang.

"I hadn't gotten there yet. Just told her the basics of the meta-verse," Yang said.

Morgana leapt out from his perch on Akira's shoulders. He looked at Blake, then turned to look at Ruby and Yang.

"You guys went on Phantom Thief business without telling any of us," he said, his voice low. Morgana looked at Akira.

"Why?" was all he asked.

"I'm sorry," Ruby said.

"We had to. Adam was going to do something to her-"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Akira said, anger lacing his voice. Ruby bit the inside of her cheek.

"It didn't involve any of you," Yang said, a hard edge to her voice.

"We would have been more than glad to help," Akira shook his head. "We're supposed to trust each other."

Akira crouched down and held his bag open for Morgana. "Tell Ryuji and Ann to meet us on the roof. We're going to talk about this tomorrow."

With that, he left.

Ruby banged the back of her head against the wall as she heard the door close. She sank onto the floor.

"We chunked it," Ruby said. Yang sighed.

"We did what we had to do. I don't regret it," she said, moving over to take a seat next to Blake, who was still dazed and confused.

"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I didn't mean to cause any problems-"

"It's not your fault," Ruby said. She scrunched up her nose. "I mean, how did you even end up in the meta-verse in the first place? You weren't with us."

Blake looked at her phone. "I don't know. I was looking at my phone while I was walking, and then-"

"Her phone!" Ruby said, extending her arms outward. Yang snapped her fingers, then gestured for Blake to hand her phone over. Blake unlocked it and gave it to the blonde, who fiddled with it for a moment.

"Yep. It's here," Yang said, showing Blake a weird app with a red eye icon that she had no recollection of downloading. "The Meta-Nav. It's how we access the meta-verse."

"One question answered, I guess," Ruby sighed. She got up from the floor, taking her hot chocolate from the coffee table and taking a gulp. It didn't help the situation any, but give Ruby some cookies and maybe she would feel a little better at least.

"We should talk about this tomorrow," Yang said. "It's been a really long day."

Ruby nodded. "Crash here tonight," she said to Blake. She didn't offer much resistance, speaking to how tired she must have been. Ruby let Yang arrange the rest as Ruby headed to her room.

She hoped Ryuji and Ann weren't going to be as mad. Oh God she hoped.

* * *

**4/28 - Wednesday Afternoon**

Ryuji had steeled himself today. He found Blake on his lunch break. Akira had texted him to meet on the roof, but he was sure nobody would have minded this. Besides, it was something he had to do. Had to.

"Hey, Blake," Ryuji called out. She turned to him in mild surprise. Okay. First step achieved. Well, first step was actually gathering up the courage to do this. So, second step achieved. He mentally congratulated himself.

"Ryuji," Blake responded, walking up to him. She seemed a little nervous, but in a different way than she had been yesterday. "Did... Akira tell you?"

Ryuji furrowed his brows. Did he have something to do with her? He thought she was Yang's friend. "Uh... no?" he carded a hand through his hair. "No, I just wanted to like- um. Check in on you."

Despite himself, Ryuji found himself flushing. This was so not his thing. Mushy feelings and stuff. Yet, it was a border he found himself more than willing to cross if it meant avoiding another incident like Shiho.

Blake's expression softened. Ryuji took that as an encouraging sign. "You seemed a little... out of sorts yesterday. I just wanted to... make sure. That you're- that you're okay, I mean."

Blake shouldered her bag and smiled at Ryuji. "That's really sweet of you, Sakamoto. I was a little worse for wear yesterday, but waking up to your Persona is kind of a pick-me-up, you know?"

Ryuji's eyes threatened to bug out of his skull.

Whaaaaaaaaat.

What.

"Uh..." Ryuji opened his mouth. Then closed it. No. Huh?

Blake gasped and covered her mouth with a hand.

"They didn't tell you," Blake groaned.

"Who didn't tell me what?" Ryuji asked. New strategy: play dumb. He was good at that. "What the hell is a Persona?"

"Ryuji," Blake gave him a flat stare.

"Ryuji?" he scratched his head. Then he cringed.

Yang appeared behind Blake, finding a truly confusing scene before her.

"Oh brother," she sighed. "C'mon Ryuji, let's head up to the roof. Everything will clear itself up, I promise."

"Aw man, I don't know who you are, pretty third-year, but that sounds like really not a good idea," Ryuji put his hands on his hips. Yang shook her head. She grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him upstairs.

"You sweet, summer child," Yang grumbled.

* * *

**4/28 - Wednesday Afternoon**

"So, yeah. That's what happened yesterday," Ruby concluded her summary, sitting cross legged atop one of the tables.

Yang leaned against the same table, arms crossed.

The group was silent for a while. Ryuji and Ann wore equally confused looks. Morgana sat on his haunches, silent and contemplative. Akira wore an imperceptible frown on his face.

Ruby could feel his disappointed leaking from him, dripping from every subtle gesture and shift. He wore his neutrality well, but not nearly well enough to hide from her. Blake stood next to Yang, her hands wrung together.

"So Blake's a- she's got a Persona now, too?" Ann asked. Blake nodded carefully. Ann bit at her thumbnail.

"We didn't mean for that to happen- she just found the app on her phone and got sucked in," Ruby hurriedly explained.

"Why didn't you tell us any of this?" Ryuji asked, his singular gaze on Blake. She crossed her arms then.

"Because it didn't involve you," Yang answered. Akira shifted, and his disapproval grew. Even Yang could see it. She sighed. "I'm sorry, but it's true. Things with Kamoshida were different. We were all affected by him, by what he did, but with Adam? None of you even knew Blake before today."

"We never had a chance to," Akira replied, his tone clipped.

"I did," Ryuji said, his tone firm and simple. Yang narrowed her eyes at him. Ryuji cleared his throat. "I- uh. I bumped into her yesterday. And I thought she looked..." Ryuji shrugged. "Not okay."

Yang shook her head. "Okay, Ryuji nonwithstanding-"

"Did you think we wouldn't want to help?" Ann asked. Her eyes, wide and blue, seemed to give Yang pause. Ruby felt shame well up in her at the question. "After everything we've been through."

"I-" Yang started.

"We didn't want you guys to have to do this for us. Blake's our family. We needed to help her," Ruby said.

"That's not the point," Akira said. "The point is, we're a team, and we're supposed to trust each other."

"We trust you!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Then trust that we would help you out, no questions asked," Ann said. In her eyes was a steady, blazing heat. "After everything you've done for me, Yang, Ruby. For Shiho," she shook her head. "I would follow you to-" she shook her head again, letting the sentence hang there.

"Especially after what happened with Shiho. I sure as hell can't sit by and let shit like that happen to anyone else," Ryuji added quietly.

Akira pushed his glasses up his nose, his unsaid statement hanging between him and Ruby. She knew. They were two of a kind. There wasn't supposed to be these kinds of secrets.

"We're sorry we didn't tell you, guys," Ruby said, her eyes shifting to the ground. She felt Yang's hand slip into hers.

They were all silent again. Cold air blew through all of them. Ruby knew they had breached their trust, targeting someone they had no idea of, and bringing another person into the fold, but she had hoped their reasonings would have softened the blow more. She supposed they deserved this a bit.

"What's your Persona called?" Ryuji finally asked, breaking the frigid silence. Blake startled, caught off guard by the question.

"Uh," she fumbled with the sleeves of her blazer. "Gambol Shroud."

"Dope," Ryuji gave her a thumbs up, a smile on his face. Ruby had to laugh. So did Ann. Eventually they all tumbled headfirst into a fit of laughter.

Akira was the first to recover. "Have you guys stolen his treasure?"

Yang shook her head.

"So let's steal his treasure," he said.

With his approval, the atmosphere improved immensely.

"So... we're doing this?" Yang asked.

Akira nodded. Ryuji smiled wolfishly.

"Hell, I was worried I'd get rusty sitting around on my ass waiting for Kamoshida to confess," he cracked his knuckles.

"To help Blake," Ann nodded, leaning a hand on her hip.

"Looks like the Phantom Thieves are back in business. Hmph. Thought we'd have a little bit more downtime than that," Morgana mewled happily, stretching his back out.

"Sorry, I'm still a little confused about exactly what we're going to be doing?" Blake raised a meek hand, smiling sheepishly. "I- I'm Blake, by the way. Nice to meet you all."

Ruby smacked her head. "We didn't even make proper introductions. Blake, you've met Morgana and Akira."

"Still confused by the cat/not-a-cat thing, by the way," Blake shrugged helplessly. Morgana harrumphed, but made no protests otherwise.

"We'll explain in a bit. This is Ryuji, you've met him too. And that's Ann Takamaki," Yang carried on in Ruby's stead.

"Nice to meet you," Ann said cheerily. Blake returned the greeting.

They caught Blake up to speed on all their affairs, up till the bell rang and they dispersed to go back to class.


	21. Hand Over Fist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss and Makoto get the ball rolling. Things start escalating for the Phantom Thieves.

**4/28 - Wednesday After School**

Weiss couldn't quite remember the last time she had felt so _excited_.

She let out a little squeal to prove it. See? Excited.

This had been a labour of love, a product of hard work and completely neglecting her friends for the greater good. It all lay in a single file.

"Well, this is it. I have to say, it has been an absolute pleasure working with you on this, Weiss," Makoto said, hiding a small grin behind a knuckle. Weiss rolled her eyes, but bumped her shoulder against Makoto's, a gesture she normally reserved for Ruby, Blake and Yang.

"This is going to be excellent. We just have to let Principal Kobayakawa see our proposal and implement it," Weiss ran a thumb over the edge of the file. "We'll be making a real change."

" _If_ Principal Kobayakawa implements it," Makoto said. Weiss had to roll her eyes again.

"I'm sorry, did you not hear me saying that this is going to be excellent?" Weiss asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "We have a good thing going. Have just a bit of faith, Nijima."

Makoto shut her eyes and gave Weiss a serene smile. "Right. Of course."

It was simple. Well, in theory. Weiss and Makoto's proposal just entailed a more proactive practice for the student council, and by proxy Shujin itself, to learn more about the troubles of the student body. Above all, they just wanted to make sure somebody like Shiho never had to suffer in silence again. It wasn't only a matter of personal morality, on the part of each and every student to help each other out, but a more systemic approach to mental health. The idea sat well in the seat of Weiss' heart. She hoped the Principal accepted it. More than that, she really hoped that Shiho herself could see this. Weiss hadn't known her personally, but it still pained her to see someone else with nowhere to go, finding their final solution in suicide

Weiss knew the feeling of suffering in silence, in a prison in your own mind. She knew misery, and she knew how lucky she was, too. A lot of others didn't get the same opportunities she did. If nothing else, Weiss was comfortable with this being her legacy. A small ripple of kindness meant more to her than anything the Schnee Dust Company could do. Jacques Schnee's sneering face leered at her in her mind, a thought she could easily dispel now.

"We'll present it tomorrow- first thing after school, yes?" Makoto asked. Weiss nodded.

"Okay then, I'll text you with some more details later. For now, I should really study," the brown haired senior sighed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Exams are coming up soon, and I've been falling behind a little with us working on this. Not to say that it hasn't been worth it."

Weiss tugged her blazer, looking away from Makoto. "Yes. As have I. It has been... fun, though," she half-mumbled, feeling her cheeks heat up a little as she spoke. Oh, for all the progress she had made ever since meeting, verbally admitting affection, even in its barest forms, was always something that was going to be embarrassing for her. Weiss chanced a glance at Makoto.

"Yes. It's been fun," she echoed Weiss' sentiments, and surely Weiss wasn't imagining the hint of pink on her cheeks, right? That made Weiss burn up just a little more.

"Okay. I'm going to... head home now," Weiss coughed a little, though she couldn't help the small upturn of her lips.

"Would you like to walk to the station together?" Makoto offered. Weiss shouldered her bag and smiled.

"I'd love to."

* * *

**4/29 - Thursday Morning**

Akira hadn't ever seen a man so desperately penitent.

On his hands and knees, no less. Sobbing and begging to be arrested. He'd felt a solid, iron-hot grip around his heart as the teachers attempted to usher everyone out. He had expected something when the school had called an assembly, but he sure hadn't expected... this.

Change of heart, alright.

His eyes scanned the crowd streaming out of the hall. Kobayakawa and a few other teachers brought a still crying Kamoshida backstage. Three blonde heads immediately caught his attention, and he balled his fists in his pocket as he approached them. Ruby appeared from behind him, ever present in his peripherals.

"Roof," Akira murmured quietly as they gathered. He cast a look about the hall, doing his best not to draw any suspicion towards them.

"They don't know it's us," Ruby told him softly. "Let's just have a moment, okay?"

Her eyes held kindness. A stranger to his own. Akira let his body relax. She was right. If anyone saw them, all they would see is a group of kids that were victimized by Kamoshida sharing a moment with each other. He nodded.

The group moved to the corner of the gym.

"I can't believe it..." Ann said. Her hands gripped the hem of her blazer. "It's actually over. It is over, right?"

Yang placed a gentle hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "It's over. He won't hurt anyone anymore."

"You did this," Ryuji bumped an elbow against Ann, a small grin on his face.

" _We_ did this," Ann laughed, then sniffled. She brought a hand up to wipe her tears. "Oh, I can't wait to tell Shiho..."

"Phantom Thieves are officially a success," Ruby said. She looked to Akira. He adjusted his glasses. There was never a doubt in his mind. That fact might have been a little worrying if he didn't knew that Ruby didn't doubt it either.

"Group hug time," Ann said, presenting her arms out wide. Ryuji groaned, as did Ruby. "Nuh uh, no way. I'm very emotional and I love you guys and I want a hug!" Ann protested, her laugh coming between wet tears. Ryuji sighed, but relented, being the first to move into Ann's space. She hugged him tight, and extended her other arm, making grabby motions to bring the others in.

Akira lopped an arm around Ruby's shoulders and brought her in. She laughed warmly. Yang enveloped the whole group of them. Even Morgana leaned out of Akira's bag to purr against the group.

Yeah, alright. This was pretty nice.

"Okay, okay. That's more than plenty, Takamaki," Ryuji pulled away. Ann let him go. They all stepped back, bright beaming faces and high spirits shared among each other.

"Hey," a familiar voice called out from behind them. Akira turned to see Blake walking up to them, a sheepish expression on her face. He smiled at her, trying to make her feel more welcome. She was their newest Phantom Thief, after all. "So... congratulations, all of you. I have to say, I'm very impressed with the results."

"Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet," Ryuji said, smiling wide. "We still got a job that needs doing, don't we?"

Blake tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She smiled as she shifted her gaze towards Yang, then focused back on the group as a whole.

"C'mon, we have to go celebrate," Ruby said. "Big Bang Burger, anyone?"

"Yes!" Yang immediately said.

"That's what you call a celebration?" Morgana asked, perturbed. "We just finished our first big heist! We need to go bigger than that!"

"Oh, and I assume the meta-verse pays you well enough to have a big celebration, Mona?" Ruby asked, her arms crossed. Morgana grumbled, but offered no other argument.

"Well, much as I don't want to say it, Morgana's kind of right. We did something totally awesome- we have to go big on celebrating it," Ryuji shrugged.

Ann shook her head. "We can celebrate properly after we steal Adam's heart, guys!" she faced the rest of the group. "Then Blake will have a proper reason to celebrate, too. Besides, I'm starving right now."

Yang smiled at her. "Big Bang it is," she looked at Akira. "Leader?"

Akira smiled. "I'm going to do the Big Bang challenge," he cocked his head towards the exit.

Ruby groaned. "No way."

"Oh, you'd be surprised at the depths of this guy's stomach," Morgana said as they started walked.

"The burger is like, twice the size of a human stomach," Ryuji shook his head. "Much faith as I have in you bro, there's no damn way you can do it."

"It's been done before," Blake offered. Akira merely grinned. So today was shaping up to be a pretty good one.

* * *

Except for this.

Sunny blue skies, the breeze blowing just right. The group was chattering animatedly, laughing and teasing and enjoying each other's company.

Then Blake came to a stop, and her whisper, heard on the breeze, caught Akira in his tracks.

"Adam."

He looked forward, focusing on the tall man in front of him. His hair was streaked with red dye. There was a long scar running over the length of his face, from his upper right brow, narrowly missing his eye to end at the edge of his cheek. His lips were curled in a sneer. His eyes held contempt and jealousy in equal measures. Akira immediately tensed up. The rest of the group fell silent as they stopped.

And they were almost at Big Bang Burger, too.

So this was the infamous Adam Taurus.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Yang asked from beside Akira, a dangerous edge to her voice. She stepped forward, placing herself between Blake and Adam.

Adam only responded in a wry grunt. He appraised the group before him. His eyes searched them, sizing each of them up one by one. Akira met his gaze calmly.

"I never took you for the popular type, Blake," he said. The crowd at Central Street was sparse enough to walk around the group, people giving the scene nothing more than a curious glance before going about their business.

"What business is it of yours, asshole?" Ryuji asked hotly. Adam clenched his fists once but made no further movement.

Blake had told them the general gist of what Adam had done, who he was. If they weren't included before, well they certainly were now.

"This the crowd you hang out with now?" Adam motioned towards the group. "I expected more."

"Guess you just don't know me, do you?" Blake asked, moving forward to stand beside Yang.

Adam laughed at that. "We both know that I know you better than you know yourself. At least enough to know that you can't possibly be friends with these people."

"Shut the hell up," Ann snapped. He didn't acknowledge her speaking.

"You know, I missed you the other day. I was so sure you would show up," Adam rolled his neck. "But it doesn't matter. I know you'll come back to me eventually. I'll make sure of it."

"Is that a threat?" Ruby asked. Adam smirked.

"You'll know when I'm threatening you," he smiled, his teeth bared. Akira gave him a hard stare. A man, thinking he owned the world. A woman being victimised. History didn't exactly repeat, but it seemed to rhyme again and again. He barely thought about it, just like he had barely thought about intervening before.

"You should leave now," he said to him, his voice low and even. There was that voice in his head, the one he knew intimately- it had been loud and mournful the entire stint in Juvie. Akira had named it his regret, and he pushed it away now.

"And who are you to tell me what to do?"

Blake held an arm out to the rest, silencing any responses they might have had. "You know what, this is as good an opportunity as any."

She pulled out a notepad and marker from her bag. "You've hounded and harassed me and my friends for long enough, Adam," she wrote something quickly. "You think I'm some sort of possession of yours, that I'm going to bend down to your every whim. You think I'm going to run away, again. But you're wrong. And you need a change of heart. Lucky for me, I've got a couple friends to help me out with that."

She ripped out the page from her notepad, walked forward, and held it out. He stared down at her for a few seconds before snatching the paper from her.

"The Phantom Thieves are going to steal your heart. Consider this your calling card, you stupid, selfish, arrogant bastard."

Adam examined the paper. Akira could see that Blake had written the words 'TAKE YOUR HEART' on it. He furrowed his brows.

His confusion was quickly replaced with ire. But not from him. Not quite. The world darkened and suddenly it wasn't quite the same Adam Taurus that faced them. His face was covered with a white mask, and he held a sword in his hand.

"You'll never be free of me," the figure snarled.

Quick as a snap, the world shifted back to normal.

Adam balled up the paper and threw it behind his shoulder. He stalked off past them without another word.

"Holy shit..." Ryuji breathed. He looked at Blake, his expression ecstatic. "That was badass!"

Blake immediately turned a shade of red.

"I think she'll fit in just fine," Morgana said. "Even though there wasn't a proper calling card, that was bold and stylish, just as a Phantom Thief should be. Take notes, Ryuji!"

Ryuji scoffed. Akira smiled at Blake.

"So, guess we're going into the meta-verse tomorrow," Akira said to the group.

"After that spectacular verbal beatdown? How could we not?" Ann clapped and giggled. "That must have felt so satisfying, Blake!"

"Well, we also have to go because the calling card only lasts so long," Ruby mumbled, but beamed at Blake all the same.

"Oh we're going to kick some ass!" Yang looped an arm around Blake's shoulder and pulled her into a side hug. "So proud of you, Blakey!"

"T-thanks, you guys," Blake muttered out, her smile a little sheepish, but her eyes gleaming brighter than Akira had ever seen before. He huffed a laugh and nodded in approval.

Yeah, Morgana was right. She'd fit right in.

They headed into Big Bang Burger, both celebrating the day and the day to come after.


	22. ...And The Horse You Rode In On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Adam to go down.

**4/30 - Saturday After School**

Akira was really impressed with Blake's Persona. She was lightning quick, flitting from one place to another almost faster than his eyes could process. Her Persona was smaller than the others. It was a feminine figure, wrapped in cloth, like a mummy, but moving and acting with a grace and speed that belied its appearance.

He and Ryuji had equipped her with another pistol they had bought from Iwai. Despite her inexperience, she was handling it like a pro. She leapt and dodged blows, sent out devastating blasts of blue of her own. Her Persona even had the ability to make opponents confused or fearful. That had provided massively useful coupled with a few psionic blasts of his own.

"Jeez, there weren't these many bad guys the last time we sent a calling card," Yang wiped her brow as the last of the shadows dissippated. Akira recalled Mokoi, feeling the mask reappear on his face as he slipped his knife back in his coat.

"Different people have different psychological reactions to being threatened," Morgana explained. Blake actively startled as she turned around and saw him again. He clicked his tongue, annoyed at her behaviour.

"I'm sorry, I'm just really not used to seeing you... like this," Blake said, shaking her head.

"You'd better get used to it!" Morgana exclaimed. "Or... not get used to it. Because I definitely have a real human form," he grumbled.

"Give her a break, Mona. This is like, her second time even being in the meta-verse. We all freaked out when we first saw you too," Ann chided. Morgana crossed his arms. "You'll get used to it, Rogue."

Ruby had picked out the code name. She explained that they would get it once they witnessed Blake in action. Akira certainly did now. Blake moved like a rogue did in an RPG. Quick, in and out, and never trying to be in one place for too long. Blake had been amenable to the code name, though Akira had a sneaking suspicion that Ruby was purposely not explaining the gaming roots of it. Score one more for Ruby, he supposed.

"Yeah, but keep this up and you'll be a meta-verse pro in no time," Ryuji gave an enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Thanks," Blake gave him a little thumbs up of her own. Akira slipped his hands in his pockets and approached Ruby.

"We close?" he asked her. She pulled out the map she had procured from her last time here. Ruby examined it for a little bit, her tongue sticking slightly out of her mouth as she concentrated on the task before her.

"Yes?" Ruby said, furrowing her brow. Yang spied her sister struggling and sighed. She reached over and flipped the map around. Ruby blinked.

"Oh. Halfway there," she noted, folding the map back up.

"Let's conserve our energy then. Try to sneak past as many enemies as we can," Akira told the rest of the group.

"Got it, Joker," Mona nodded. They trekked onwards.

Akira dropped behind a little to approach Blake.

"You doing alright?" he asked.

"I'm good," Blake nodded. "Yeah, I'm really good."

Akira smiled. They continued to walk cautiously.

* * *

**4/30 - Saturday Afternoon**

Back at the stupid stairs. Ruby sighed. At least she wasn't nearly as exhausted this time around. The group took a moment at the top of the steps.

"Oh jeez, how long is this staircase?" Ryuji groaned. Ruby grimaced.

"It goes _preeetty_ far down. Sorry, Skull," she rubbed at the nape of her neck.

"God I hate this. Kamoshida was messed up, but he didn't have as annoying architecture," Yang shook her head.

"Is everyone still good?" Akira asked. Everyone responded in the affirmative. To be honest, Ruby was a little apprehensive about facing off against the cognitive Adam again. He was plenty strong the last time. The presence of everyone around her gave her confidence though. They'd taken down a big, gross Kamoshida monster. Adam couldn't be much worse, right?

"Rogue?" Akira looked to Blake. Ruby looked at her. Under her ornate black mask, her golden eyes shone bright. If she was afraid, she didn't show it. Blake took Yang's hand in her own and gave it a quick squeeze. She took the first steps down.

"Let's go," She said. They started their descent.

Ruby kept her focus on keeping one foot in front of the other. Surely nothing good was waiting for them at the bottom, but they continued on. They were Phantom Thieves, and someone was in trouble. It was simple.

They finally reached the landing at the bottom of the stairs. The lights were low, and the window was still broken. Instead of the spotlight that had been there the last time, all the lights were instead on. It was like a theatre before the show began.

Ruby grit her teeth. That was probably exactly what it was.

"Be ready for anything," Akira muttered, heading out into the stands. Everyone followed his lead.

As soon as they stepped into the stands, the lights turned off, plunging the area into total darkness. Ruby tensed and stilled herself, her weapon at the ready.

Then a spotlight appeared. Adam stood there with the cognitive version of Blake. She was on her knees, a blindfold over her eyes.

"Blake Belladonna, do you take me in sickness and in health? Will you have me, to cherish and to hold?" Adam asked. He held a hand on the sword sheathed on his hip.

"I... I do," the cognitive Blake whispered. Adam turned to face the real Blake.

"It's what I've always wanted Blake," he said. Blake descended the stands, the group in tow. Ruby rolled her eyes. Dramatic, much? Even she could see what a phony Adam was.

"No, it isn't," Blake said calmly.

Adam growled. "You don't know me. I would have given you _everything,_ Blake."

She laughed, a high sound. "Give me a break. We're in the deepest parts of your mind. I know you like a victim knows their killer."

"I try, and I try, and you still continue to be stubborn. You still push me away," Adam shook his head, casting his gaze downward.

"Do you believe that?" Blake asked. "Do you truly believe that I'm the one that you want?"

Adam stilled, gripping the handle of his sword tighter.

"No," the cognitive Blake answered.

Ruby's eyebrows shot up.

"That's what I thought," Blake said. The cognitive Blake took her blindfold off and got up off her knees. Well. She hadn't expected that from Adam's cognition of Blake.

"Shut up," Adam growled.

"You're just a sad, pathetic man, Adam," Blake continued. "You've got something broken inside you. You were hurt, I understand. But somewhere along the line you let the hurt define you. You let yourself become the monster you wanted to destroy."

"Shut up!" Adam shouted.

"You use women as your... playthings. Objects. To covet and own and throw away once you get bored. But it won't fix anything. The hurt will still be there. It's sad to see," Blake peeled her mask off. "And I'm willing to bet that I'm not the first girl you put on this stage, am I?"

"No, you're not," the cognitive Blake answered again.

"I'm warning you!" Adam shouted.

"You don't know what love is. And deep down, you know what you've done. The dots just don't connect for you. But that's okay. We're here to steal your heart, to make you understand."

"The night I told you I love Yang," the cognitive Blake turned to regard Adam. "You beat me. Told me it was wrong. Told me I wasn't worthy of anybody's love but yours. But you were just afraid."

Adam began to laugh. It unsettled Ruby. She felt Akira beside her shift a hand into his coat pocket.

"Straight from the lion's mouth," Blake said. "Turns out you really do know me."

Adam grabbed the cognitive Blake. "You stupid bitch. Don't you understand? If I can't have you," he unsheathed his sword and ran it through the cognitive Blake's stomach. "Then no one can."

Yang gasped. The group held their breath. Adam threw the cognitive Blake to the side.

"Come on! If you want to steal my heart, then come here and try it!" Adam bellowed.

"Gambol Shroud," Blake summoned her Persona, drawing her sword and charging forward. Gambol Shroud fired a burst of blue light that Adam barely had time to dodge, before deflecting Blake's blow.

Ruby got ready to spring into action, when the place began to fill with familiar growls. Out of the din of the audience stands, Adam's shadows began to file out. They surrounded the group.

"Red, Gold, back Rogue up! Mona, cover and heal them!" Joker withdrew his pistol. "Skull, Panther, it's showtime."

Skull cracked his knuckles. "Time to kick some ass, Captain Kidd!"

Panther unfurled her whip. "Got it, Joker."

Red swung her scythe across a group of shadows, creating an opening to get to Rogue and Adam.

She trusted Joker, enough to not even turn her head to look over the fray as she heard the sounds of fighting. Red took her rifle out to take shots at a couple shadows that looked ready to harass Rogue. Gold dove into the fight directly, swinging her fists in quick and powerful arcs at Adam. He bobbed and weaved, but Gold didn't let up. Red took a couple shots when she saw an opening. He staggered, but seemed otherwise unharmed.

Mona blew a gust of wind at Adam, that he dodged, before pivoting to strike at Mona. The monster cat dove out of the way.

"Gambol Shroud!" Rogue tore her mask off as she flipped over Adam's swing. Her Persona sent out another blast that Adam quickly deflected. Red didn't have enough time to back them up, as a few more shadows jumped out of the darkness, lunging towards them. She slashed them up with her scythe.

"Mona, we need to get these shadows off our backs," Red called out. He nodded, then concentrated. His Persona appeared, in a swift motion, blew out a staggering gust of wind that managed to push all the shadows around them away, tumbling into each other.

Time for an opening. Red gripped her mask.

"Crescent Rose!" she cried out, and tendrils of black and red appeared on the ground near Adam. He raised a hand to swing his sword at Gold, but was halted as the tendrils wrapped around his wrist.

"What?" he cried.

"Let him have it!" Red bellowed. Both Gold and Rogue summoned their Persona. A brilliant flash of blue, followed by a searing red. Adam was thrown to the ground, skidding to a halt near the edge of the ring. The growls of monsters and the sounds of battle stopped in an instant. Ruby gripped her scythe tight, the sudden juxtaposition more unnerving than an attack.

All the shadows immediately halted, turning to face Adam. Slowly, they started slinking towards him. The Phantom Thieves all stilled themselves, watching the scene unfold. They all joined together into an amorphous shadow. A dripping, hissing mass of inky darkness enveloped Adam. Ruby's heart started racing. Kamoshida was monstrous, but this...

This was something different.

They began to take shape. A beast: massive claws and a cavernous mouth filled with rows and rows of sharp teeth. Its eyes were red, glowing in the dark, and with a white mask, just like Adam was wearing. It was a grim sight. It unsettled Red deeply, rattled something deep in her bones that reverberated in her head. Ruby looked at it and all she could see was hate. Unbridled and unchecked, festered into something less than human.

Everybody regrouped, preparing themselves for the fight.

"You think I'm a monster?" the thing growled. The sound shook in Red's chest. "Let me show you just how much of a monster I am."

It let out a deafening scream as it swiped at the group.

"Gotta say, I wasn't expecting this!" Gold cried out, firing her shotgun into the monster. It growled but didn't stop its advance. It brought a massive claw down on her, the blonde only barely managing to flip out of the way. The ground shook with its impact. The Phantom Thieves fired their full arsenal at it. Round after round rattled off in unison.

The creature growled in what Red assumed was pain, but was otherwise unaffected. It swung wildly, its movements deceptively fast despite its massive stature. Razor sharp claws missed Joker by inches as he dropped into a low crouch. He summoned Arsene, a shower of needles bursting forth from the Persona, right into the monster's white mask. It slowed his movements for a few moments, enough for Red to ding a shot into its ugly, glowing red eye. It reared back in definite pain, howling.

Its cries were deafening. It set Red's senses alight, her mind racing with a fight-or-flight instinct beyond what she had ever felt. She cocked her rifle, repositioning herself into the stands to get a better vantage point.

Skull sent sparks dancing along the monster's surface as Gold summoned Ember Celica forth to deliver a blinding punch to the monster's gut. It staggered, but still managed to reach forward, grabbing Gold in its claws.

"Yang!" Rogue cried out.

"What does she see in _you_?" the monster cried out in something like anguish. Gold squirmed in the monster's grasp.

"Fuck- you!" Gold spat. "I'll never let you hurt her again!"

The monster screamed. "I'll take away the things you love, until you have nothing left but me!"

Rogue froze on the spot, her eyes unable to tear itself away from Gold's squirming visage, about to be speared through by the monster's other hand.

Several things happened at once.

In the space of time between Red firing off a shot right at the monster's eye again, Joker brought forth Arsene, leaping up in the air to place himself and his Persona between Gold and the monster's other claw.

Rogue was on top of the monster's head before anybody could process it, her sword lifted high in the air, to stab down atop the monster's head.

Gold _ignited_.

It was a bright flash of light. Red barely caught it.

Arsene took the blow meant for Gold. Joker was tossed towards the stands.

The hand holding Gold let her go, smoke drifting off of it.

Red's bullet connected.

Rogue brought her sword down with a scream.

Black liquid squirted out of every cut along the monster's body. It roared one final, mighty cry as it as it fell backwards.

"Blake!" Gold cried, rushing forward as the slumped form of the monster started shifting, reducing and dissipating until all the was left was a broken man wearing a broken mask.

Ruby stowed her weapon, running down the stands to join Morgana and Ann where Akira had been flung into the stands. It was a nasty throw, and everyone else looked relatively fine.

Their leader got up, mask askew and bits of wood chips all over his coat. He moaned, low and pained. Both Ann and Morgana casted healing spells on him. He nodded gratefully. Ruby clapped a hand on his shoulder, breathing a sigh of relief. He slung an arm around Ruby's shoulder as he leaned on her for support.

"Really messed my leg up there," he grunted as they walked towards the rest of the group.

"That was really brave, and really, really stupid," Ruby chided him lightly. He grinned.

"Never claimed to be anything less, Red," he laughed quietly. They looked on at Adam's crouched form. Yang and Blake stood in front of him. He was breathing heavily, looking down at the floor.

"I..." he began, a croak from his throat, sounding more in pain that he had been throughout the whole battle. He dropped both knees on the floor, raising his head to look ar Blake. "I loved you."

"That wasn't love," Blake said quietly. "It was never love."

She gripped Yang's hand.

"I didn't know..." Adam ground out. A choked sob escaped his throat. "I just... wanted to make the pain stop. I wanted it all to go away. I thought you could make it go away. You said you would make it go away."

Ruby exhaled softly, tightening her grip around Akira. He squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. Even Adam, as irredeemable as Kamoshida was, had his reasons for committing his evil acts. It seemed to Ruby that though evil existed, they never existed without reason. She didn't know if that made it better or worse.

Blake sighed, then shook her head. Her mask was slipped off her face, and Ruby could see how _tired_ she was. It was like the sight of Adam alone sapped all the strength from her. The raven-haired girl stood resolute in spite of it all, and Ruby gained a deeper appreciation for her friend. She was glad too, that she could see weariness on the lines of her face after a hard fought battle, rather than broken and battered on the floor.

Maybe the meta-verse had been a bit of a surprise, but now, Ruby didn't know what she would do without it.

"I need your treasure," she said. He paused, then nodded once, reaching into his coat to pull a single rose out.

"I'm sorry," he said, barely more than a whisper. Blake took the gleaming flower from him.

"I'm... not interested," Blake examined the rose for a moment, the handed it to Ryuji. "You're going to have a change of heart. You're going to turn yourself in for all you did to those poor girls. And then you're going to leave me and the ones I love alone forever."

Adam cried, sobbing on his knees in front of his former lover. "Okay," he said.

And he disappeared.

The ground started rumbling.

"Crud," Ruby muttered. She secured her hold on Akira, getting ready to book it out of the palace.

"What's happening?" Blake asked.

"The palace is collapsing," Akira grunted.

"Collapsing? What does that mean?"

"It means we gotta haul ass if we don't want to die!" Ryuji growled.

"Joker, now would be a good time!" Morgana yowled.

"Yeah I got it," Akira fished in his coat pockets before procuring a little plastic ball.

"Got what?!" Ann stomped a foot down.

Akira grinned at Morgana.

"Total faith, bud."

He threw down the ball. The group was instantly covered in a thick smoke. Ruby could barely see her own nose. She felt the world shift. Gravity was being turned around. She kept her grip around Akira's waist tight.

And then she fell.

* * *

**4/30 - Saturday Evening**

Akira felt the wind get knocked out of him. Face down on the ground, the only thing he could perceive were the bodies stacked in a heap atop him. He groaned, barely a huff of air out his lips.

"See," Akira wheezed. "It totally worked, Morgana."

He coughed. "Now get off of me, please."

The weight lessened and Akira sat up. He regarded his team, more than satisfied that everyone was out. He fixed his glasses as he stood up.

"We really gotta work on our exit strategies," Ann grumbled, rubbing her behind where she had landed.

"Oh no, I love the Phantom Pile, it really brings the group together," Yang dusted herself off. She gave Blake a hand and brought her up, offering to do the same with Ruby, but finding her sister comfortable sitting on the floor.

"Everyone alright?" Ruby asked, brushing some hair out of her face. Everyone gave their assent. "That's great- hey Akira, what the heck was that?"

Akira met her frown with a muted smile. "Mona?"

"That was a Goho-M," the not-a-cat announced proudly.

Yang quirked her brow. "It was a smoke bomb," she said dryly. Morgana huffed and shook his head.

"A Goho-M. It's an infiltration tool that allows us to safely exit any palace without having to actually go to the palace exit. Akira helped me craft one the other day," Morgana explained.

"And you thought now would be the best time to test it?" Ruby asked.

"I've tested it before!" Morgana grumbled. "I know it works."

Akira gave the not-a-cat a pet, trailing his fingers down his spine. "He was just worried because I made it."

"Our leader's not... the most dextrous person," Morgana ducked his head. Ruby shook her head.

"Hey, let me take a crack at these things next time, okay?" she said. "I'm pretty handy with tools, y'know."

"Hey," Ryuji interjected. "Not to change the subject, but um," he presented a belt in his hands, showing it to the group. It looked like a normal black leather belt, if a little worn. It had a shiny silver buckle, but otherwise nothing really remarkable about it. Akira surmised that this was the form that Adam's treasure took in the real world, like Kamoshida and his medal, but why?

"What's this belt supposed to mean?" Ann took it from Ryuji and placed a hand on her chin as she examined it. Blake grew sullen, as did Yang.

"This is," Blake swallowed thickly as she took the belt from Ann. "This is supposed to be the source of his distortions right? The reason he grew to become as twisted as he was?"

Akira nodded. Blake sighed.

"This is probably his father's belt," she said quietly. Akira felt a dreadful, foreboding chill run down his spine as he processed the implications of Blake's words. Ryuji's frown deepened.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Ryuji shoved his hands in his pockets as he stared at the belt intently for a few seconds. Blake was silent. "You don't mean that he... he used to beat-"

Blake nodded once, slowly.

"God damn," the blonde said lowly, scowling. "That's pretty grim."

Blake sighed. "Yeah. It is."

Akira, in an act of small mercy, took the belt from Ann, stuffing it into his bag. Ruby looked at him with gratitude; he knew she was only seconds away from doing it herself. Ann bit her lip, and in a small gesture, brushed her knuckles against Ryuji's. Akira looked away, to Yang and Blake, who were leaning against each other.

"So... what now?" Blake asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. Right now, she didn't look like any triumphant hero. Just a tired girl in a sad situation.

Akira cricked his neck. They all deserved a break, nobody more than Blake.

"Now, we go home and live our lives," Akira stuffed his hands in his pockets. He offered Blake a little smile. "C'mon guys."

They all went home in silence, parting ways as they got to Shibuya. Yang bade Akira and Ruby to head to Yongen without her. She went with Blake to bring her home. The duo offered no protests.

Akira and Ruby quietly next to each other on the train. Judging from the sounds and the movements, Morgana had fallen fast asleep in his bag.

Akira turned his head slightly to look at Ruby in his periphery. Though she looked forward, her gaze was a million miles away. He turned his head more to regard her.

She was pretty. Akira had long since concluded that. Her short hair perfectly framed her heart-shaped face, and her silver eyes almost seemed to shine under the fluorescent lights. She was, in some (a lot) of ways, a perfect companion, comparable to Mona. Though she and Yang had irked him with their rogue mission, Akira had ultimately understood why they did what they did. He was just-

Akira sighed internally. He had been trying to avoid this part of his thoughts for a while now. It was easier to ignore it all while Kamoshida's confession and the threat of Adam had loomed over them.

Now it was silent, and Akira had the edges of his heart tug on his surprisingly deep appreciation for Ruby Rose, he couldn't tamp it down any longer.

The truth was, Akira was hurt that Ruby had gone into the meta-verse without him. It seemed like he saw that blue cell door everywhere he looked, and it always made his stomach drop low. The only thing that had made it bearable was the knowledge that Ruby was right there with him. Not because he didn't like Morgana, or Ryuji, or any of the other Phantom Thieves, or that he didn't think they were good companions either.

It was because Ruby was _there_ , and even though she didn't know, she must have on some level, _understood_.

It was something about Ruby. About their instant connection, and their shared understanding. Something about her drew him towards her, and the stupid, petty reason he was mad they had gone behind his back was because he was _jealous._

The word stoked an ugly fire in him, disgusting and fascinating him all at once.

Akira shifted in his seat and adjusted his glasses.

He had never known himself to be reliant on anyone. A harsh lesson to learn, after not one of his friends- the people he had grown up with, spent his life with- thought to visit him in juvie. But strangely, he was finding himself reliant on Ruby Rose.

Ruby seemed to bring herself to attention, the lines of her mouth cracking into a smile. She looked at him with those silver eyes of hers, light and mirth dancing behind them.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked. Akira turned his gaze forward.

"Dollar for yours," he replied easily. Ruby huffed a small laugh at that.

"I think..." Ruby drawled, languidly shifting her body to rest her head on Akira's shoulder. He smiled at the comfortable, familiar contact. "That I'm really tired."

Akira chuckled.

"I think you're really tired, too," Akira said. Ruby hummed in agreement.

"What are you going to do with the belt, and for that matter, what am I supposed to do with the medal?" Ruby asked. He could tell her mind weighed on the heavier implications surrounding the manifested treasures, but he decided not to prod further until she brought it up herself. Akira crossed his arms.

"You know, maybe we could sell the medal, get some extra yen for a little celebration," Akira said. Ruby picked at the hem of her school skirt, hands searching in want of something to do.

"That sounds like a good idea; I think we could all use a little bit more celebration," she said.

Akira bit his lip. "Are you okay, Ruby?"

She sat up straight, turning to look at Akira. "I've been... having these weird dreams lately," she said, her tone sullen. Akira blanched. His heart started racing a little.

"Oh yeah? What about?" he asked, willing himself to keep it as casual as he could.

Ruby's gaze pierced his. He held himself upright and neutral, waiting, like the moment after the firework was shot into the air but before it blew up.

"Dragons and monsters, and a school," Ruby answered, honest and open. Akira felt his heart withdraw a little bit. No Velvet Room, no ruin, no rehabilitation.

"Sounds exciting," Akira said, turning to look away from Ruby. She laughed, a breathy sound.

"You have no idea."


End file.
